The Rise of Sam Axe
by WritePassion
Summary: Nothing is the same, and the future is uncertain. The first in a new series of stories, post Season 7, which hasn't happened yet, but we all know it isn't going to be pretty. I guess we could call this an Alternative Universe story. First "episode" in an ongoing series.
1. Chapter 1

_This is the first in what I hope to make a short series of stories. It takes place right at the end of Season 7, so everything here is speculation. This is just what I suspect might happen. I hope you don't hate me too much after getting through Chapter 1!_

_Burn Notice: I don't own it, I just like to play with it._

**The Rise of Sam Axe**

By WritePassion

After all the running and fighting off one enemy after another, it felt good to relax. The warmth of the sun seeping into Sam's skin was therapeutic. He was lying on the beach with Elsa by his side, enjoying a mojito along with her company, hearing the ocean waves crashing against the packed sand, smelling the thick salty air. Ahh, it was pure heaven when she held his hand. He squeezed back, but his response felt weak.

"Come on, stay with us!" Someone squeezed his hand and pressed on his shoulder.

Who was that? Sam didn't recognize the voice. A chill ran through him. He turned his head and looked, but Elsa was gone. The beach had been replaced by a frozen lake and piles of snow. Large flakes fell from the sky and landed on his face, sharing their coldness for a brief time until his warmth defeated them and they melted. The icy air bit into his exposed skin and wrapped around him like a blanket of death. That was it. He was dying. Far from Miami, from Elsa. Would she ever know, or continue to wait in vain for him?

"Mr. Axe! Mr. Axe!" Someone was yelling his name, and he wanted to answer them, but he couldn't. Coldness leached through the parka shielding his back. It was rated for below zero temperatures, but it wasn't doing its job to keep him warm.

"Mr. Axe. Mr. Axe, are you still with us?"

He didn't recognize the voices yelling at him. The urgency in the tone made him open his eyes just a slit and squint. A male face hovered over him, the blonde hair cropped close to his head. Sam had an inkling of who he might be. Yes, he was one of Riley's men. Oh great, now he was in trouble.

"He's coming around," the man announced. He got on a radio and barked, "Where's that ambulance? We need it now!"

"It's at the gate, coming your way," a disembodied voice responded around the static.

"Copy." The agent barked. "Hey, you shouldn't be upright. Stay down, Mr. Axe!"

Sam heard a disembodied groan that he didn't think could have come from him. His chest hurt too much to breathe, much less make noises. He'd been shot; several times, in fact. His hand rested on his abdomen, the wetness of his own blood oozing between his fingers, chilling his digits. He should have been concerned, but all he could think was that underneath the parka one of his favorite shirts was ruined. It was better than listening to the people around him, the tension in their voices making him realize that he was hanging by a thread. They wanted him alive and would probably do anything to make that happen.

A tiny voice inside spoke to him in a mocking tone. _Look on the bright side, Sam. You may wind up in prison, but at least you'll be the recipient of the best medical care available to get you there._

If he could have, he would have sighed in resignation. Riley won, and all the patching up these people around him might do would be for nothing. No matter how he looked at it, Sam was a dead man.

"Hey, Sam, come on, don't do that. Don't close your eyes. Hang in there. Help is coming."

"Je… Jesse?" Sam opened his eyes again and looked up toward the sky. He saw Jesse's bald head in silhouette, and he managed a small smile. "You… you're okay."

"Yeah, I'm fine. You're gonna be fine too, Sam. You just have to hang on. The ambulance is coming." A siren shrieked in the background and stopped, followed by scurrying feet.

"Where...where's Mike? Fi?" He could barely get out the words, and they took the last of his breath.

"Hey, Mr. Axe. No! Help is here, just stay with us!"

Sam drifted in and out of consciousness as the paramedics worked on him. A needle in his arm, he barely felt it with the fire in his gut taking center stage. His sight doubled and turned fuzzy as he became lightheaded. There was no escape from the sensation as he was already prone.

"He's going into shock. Let's get him out of here now."

He felt himself floating, but it wasn't his soul going heavenward; the hands of several men lifted him and deposited him onto a gurney. Riley's man gazed at him with an apology in his eyes. The guy thought it never should have come to this, yet Sam knew it was inevitable. Agent Olivia Riley was a pit bull and she wouldn't stop until Westen and his crew were dead. The gurney rolled, and Sam's stomach lurched.

Before he closed his eyes, he turned his head toward the airplane hangar. He saw two figures lying on the concrete near the airplane that was meant to be the ticket to freedom, their lifeblood drained and freezing the surface. Closer to where Sam had been, another body lay. Riley was dead. Sam knew it without a doubt because he was the one who shot her in the head at close range after she shot Mike. Someone else had taken Fiona down. It was like a freakin' Mexican standoff, and Sam couldn't comprehend how he and Jesse managed to survive.

At the moment, he was too tired and worn out to contemplate anything. He just wanted to rest, to sleep and dream of happier times, and maybe when he woke up he would find that Mike and Fi were alive and well, and this had all been some terrible nightmare.

"BP is dropping. We're losing him. Get this bus moving!"

The next time he became aware of feeling anything, it was quite obvious that his wish for an end went unheeded. If anything, the pain had worsened. His left thigh throbbed where he'd been hit. His midsection tortured his nerves and he wished he could cut himself off from it. He tried moving, writhing away, but it only increased his discomfort.

Fabric rubbed against fabric and he heard soft tapping on the tile floor. He sensed a presence nearby, and warm hands touched his arm and shoulder. "Sam? Sammy, honey, don't move. The doctors are trying to help you. Don't resist."

Elsa? He tried to speak her name, but he couldn't. Something blocked his throat. A tube. Another one snaked down his nose, and he gagged on them. He fought even harder, but his current full-strength was nothing like when he was healthy.

"Mr. Axe, please, stop that." Someone held his arms down and he struggled against the grip.

_Mr. Axe?_ Why would Elsa address me that way? He opened his eyes, but even with his blurred vision he saw the truth. The woman who spoke was a nurse's aide, not Elsa. He wanted to speak his beloved's name, to ask this person to find her and bring her to his side. With the tube down his throat it was impossible, and at the moment, he turned his focus onto trying to breathe on his own. The ventilator prevented that from happening.

Hands touched him and held him down. "Mr. Axe, calm down. Just let the ventilator breathe for you."

The urge to resist poured out of Sam and he was spent. He fell back into the sanctuary of a world between wakefulness and unconscious and heard the words of those around him.

"I've administered another round of the sedative."

"Good. We have to keep him stationary until his lungs can work on their own." The speaker sighed. "No doubt about it, he's a fighter. I sure don't envy the agency and whoever has to deal with him when he's well." Footsteps faded away, and Sam was alone.

He had to figure out where he was and if he was in danger. Was he in even greater trouble for killing Riley? God only knew what was in store for him when he regained his health. Listening to those people talk, he knew it wasn't good.

He was drifting again, savoring the scent of Elsa's perfume from the last time he saw her and the touch of her hand on his arm. Now and then he imagined that she spoke to him, urging him to come back to her. Didn't she know that he was working on it? If the medical staff didn't keep him down with such heavy-duty drugs, he would be awake now, trying to get up and around and back to normal. But the question was, would normal ever be close to what he once knew, and would it be worth it?

* * *

Time stood still for Sam while the outside world continued moving forward for almost everyone. Madeline Westen stood on the cemetery lawn that had been freshly mowed that morning, the blades snapped off and sucked away to a mulch pile somewhere. Her sons' lives had been taken away in just as an abrupt manner. First Nate, gunned down by a cold-hearted sniper whose target was Anson Fullerton. He didn't care that his action caused collateral damage and broke a mother's heart. Then Michael and his friends, on the run from the CIA, ran out of room to flee and were mowed down like the blades of grass.

Madeline stared through tears blurring her vision. The new granite stone sparkled in the sunlight, so shiny and solid while inside Madeline was falling apart. At the base on one side was Nate's name with the day he was born and the day he died. When it was her time, she would lay next to him. On the side where Madeline stood, Michael and Fiona's names were carved over their final places of rest.

"Michael," she began, but she couldn't translate her thoughts into words. She swallowed and tried again. "I love you, honey. You too, Fiona. But... did it really have to end this way? Why couldn't you have turned yourselves in? At least you'd be alive and we could work something out, to find a way to clear your names." She sniffled and blew her nose into a tissue. "Now I'm alone, and I have nobody. Sam is... I don't know where he is. The CIA won't tell me anything."

"I feel so lost, and angry too. This didn't have to happen!" She shouted and subjected the grass to her frustration, stomping her foot once and grinding her half smoked cigarette into the dirt underneath the blanket of green. "Why didn't you just let things be when you were burned, Michael? You were helping people! Now who are you helping? No one!" Dropping to her knees over where he lay, she pounded the ground with her fists, wishing it was his chest, trying to knock some sense into him. But it was too late. Too late for second chances.

Unable to resist anymore, Madeline crumbled and sat on the grass, sobbing out her heart. She fell to her side and grasped thick handfuls of the grass and pulled. "How could you do this to me, Michael? After I sacrificed for you, helped you get away from your father, and now you leave me for good!"

Madeline didn't know how long she'd lain there, but she was spent and exhausted from the effort. She wanted to go to sleep and never wake up again. Then she wouldn't have to deal with the pain. Out of nowhere, a rough, worn, but warm hand lit upon her arm in a gentle, soothing caress, and Madeline's eyes flew open, her body stiff and ready to fend off whoever it was that dared to touch her.

"Maddie?"

She gaped and sat up, leaning on one hand, blinking against the glare from the sun. When she found her voice, she whispered, "Virgil? Is it... is it really you?"

He gave her a soft, mournful smile. "Yes, sweet darlin', it's me."

She wanted to ask how he found her, but it didn't matter. Maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought, which brought some comfort. But what's done is done, and nothing could bring her sons back and the beautiful, wonderful woman who she hoped would some day become her daughter-in-law. "Virgil, everything is... it's like hell on earth." She broke down, and if it weren't for Virgil, Madeline was sure she would die of sorrow right there.

She heard him make a small grunt as he dropped to the grass and pulled her close. He tucked her into his embrace and his lap, and he rocked her with gentle movements. Her hands clung to his shirt and she wet it with her tears. His own fell and landed in her hair. No words were necessary. Only tears could wash away the pain, at least for a little while.

Maddie was tired. Her cheeks felt stiff from the mix of saltwater and makeup that dried in streaks. She glanced up at Virgil and saw the trails of his tears on his sunburned face, and she lifted a hand to his cheek, swiping at them with her thumb. For him she had a weak smile.

"Oh, Madeline, I'm sorry I wasn't here. I wish I'd known what was happening, because I could have helped Michael, Fiona, Sam and Jesse get out of the country and find a safe place to hole up." His breath rattled as light blue eyes riveted on hers. "I feel sort of responsible."

"Virgil, how could you? You didn't know!"

"I should have kept in better touch with you, sweetheart. I love you, but I stayed away because Michael asked me to." He sniffled. "I respected your son and his wishes because I knew he loved you enough to try to protect you from me. I should have loved you more and said to hell with him and stuck around."

"He was being ridiculous!" Her bottom lip protruded almost like a child's.

"I know, darlin'. But I was bidin' my time, waiting to come back and prove myself to him, that I wasn't as bad as he thought." He grinned, the gesture tinged with sadness. "I heard about what happened, and I finished up some business and came back here right away."

"For how long?" Her brow furrowed. She was afraid he would leave again.

"For as long as you want me around, Madeline." He caressed her cheek and moved closer, his lips meeting hers. He kissed her, and her lips responded with desperation and the bittersweet joy of lost love found. "My, my, I missed that more than my mama's sweet potato pie!" He took her hands and helped her up from the ground, and the two walked to the car with arms around each other, stealing kisses all the way.

"Where's your truck, Virgil?" She glanced around. Her car was the only vehicle in sight.

"I took a cab here. I wasn't sure you'd be in a state of mind to drive." He gave her a smile. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Maddie replied with a smile of her own. "It'll take time, but I will get past this, that is, if I can count on you to stay." She looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

Like sunshine splitting the clouds, a smile lit up Virgil's face. "I told you, I'm here for the long haul. I went and sold everything I had in the Bahamas, so I'm back for good."

Madeline closed her eyes and let out a deep cleansing breath. "Thank you, Virgil. You're my lifeline, and I am so grateful for you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sam hadn't taken any morphine for a day or so. He was proud of himself, because it meant that he was making progress in healing. The breathing tube had been removed awhile back, and the day before today the stomach tube was taken away. As terrible as it was to have it removed, Sam felt a lot better after it was gone. He spent more time awake; unfortunately, there wasn't much to look at. The diffusion material over the window let in light but wouldn't allow him see outside. No doubt they had him in some super secret medical facility, or a civilian hospital where they didn't want him to get his bearings so he could escape later.

His door remained closed unless someone came in to check his vitals and meds. Now and then a doctor graced him with his presence but he said very little. Sam was no stranger to how high-profile, sensitive prisoners were treated. For all he knew, he could be at Gitmo, although with the level of care he'd gotten, it was highly improbable. That and the fact that the room was always a little too cold, and no air conditioning was running. His guessed that he was still in upper Michigan, or he'd been moved to DC.

The room itself was small and spartan, furnished with his bed, a cart with a locked cabinet below and a password protected computer on top, and a chair. Beyond a darkened doorway he had a private bathroom with a shower. What he wouldn't give for the ability to rise and get in there to take a shower that very minute. He smelled of blood, betadine and bleach. If he breathed in too much, it turned his stomach. Good thing they hadn't seen fit to feed him anything solid yet.

A sliver of light swept on the wall, signaling that someone was coming into the room. Sam closed his eyes, feigning sleep. He learned a lot that way, when the visitors thought he couldn't hear them. What he'd heard so far was not promising. He was in a world of trouble.

"Every time we come in here, he's sleeping. Wake him up," the male voice ground out.

"Agent Rourke, I can't do that. But I can tell you that he hasn't been using the morphine much lately, so if you'd like to stick around awhile, I'm sure he'll come around in time," the nurse replied with a sweet tone. One of these days Sam was going to find out who she was. He liked her. She always talked to him even if he was out of it, and now she defended him.

"I don't have time to waste, Nurse."

"Well then, you'll just have to come back later and hope for the best." Sam could imagine her smiling at them with a less than friendly expression. "And then you'll have wasted time in traveling."

Someone let out a breath.

"She's right, Griff. We'll just hang out here and wait for him to wake up. Thanks Miss."

"You're welcome. If he does wake up and seems to be in distress, please let me know, okay?"

Her warm hand touched his upper arm at the shoulder. Just a little bit of human kindness in such a cold place, if he didn't have eyes on him, Sam would have lost it emotionally. He missed Mike, Fi, Jesse, and Maddie. He didn't know if any of them were still alive, or if they all were and he was being kept from them in an effort to make him break. He gritted his teeth. He remembered Mike and Fi's bodies on the tarmac. His eyes showed him the evidence, but his heart still couldn't believe they were gone. If Mike, Fi, and Jesse were still alive, there was no way he would ever betray his friends. If that's what the CIA was looking for, those two agents had a really long wait ahead of them.

The door clicked when it shut, and feet moved across the room. The vinyl chair cushion hissed and sighed as someone sat in it. The other pair of boring government worker loafers tapped out a tight beat before the wearer approached the bed.

"Griff, what are you doing?"

"I'm just taking a look, that's all." Agent Rourke leaned over Sam, the end of his tie tickling the back of Sam's hand.

Unable to help himself, Sam jerked his hand away.

"Uh huh, just as I thought. Wake up, Mr. Axe. Or at least just open your eyes, because I know you're not sleeping." When Sam didn't respond, his hand came up and tapped Sam's cheek. "Come on, wouldn't you rather do this the easy way? You're hurting enough as it is."

He had a point, but Sam wouldn't deal with the guy if he wouldn't get out of his face. His throat was dry, his lungs feeling congested. Sam coughed, and he sensed the agent back off. The other guy chuckled.

"If I get pneumonia or something from him..."

"You deserve it, Griff. You get that close, you're only asking for trouble."

"The only one who's in trouble right now is him. He killed one of our own! How can you just sit there reading that stupid magazine like it's no big deal?" Rourke took to pacing, his loafer soles sounding like sandpaper on the tile. It irritated Sam's ears, and he was certain the guy knew it. It was something he would do if an interrogation wasn't going his way. Better to get it over with, and maybe they would leave him alone for awhile.

"Griff, Sam Axe was a SEAL. He's been trained in interrogation techniques, and if he's playing some kind of game, you just have to wait it out. Someone's gotta blink first. It might be him."

"And if it's not..." Rourke growled. "I don't know why they're even bothering. He should just be put in front of a firing squad for being a traitor." His feet moved on the floor, then stopped. "I got an idea. We'll take shifts. You go first, and call me if he blinks."

"You got it," Rourke's partner replied.

Rourke's angry steps retreated and the door clicked. Sam was alone again, except for his new friend. He smelled something like spicy cinnamon, his favorite gum. Sam opened his eyes just far enough to watch the agent unwrap a piece and shove it into his mouth. He chewed with a sly smile on his face and balled up the foil, then tossed it across the room. It pinged as it hit the metal edge of the wastebasket next to his bed.

"Three points." The man said with a grin and approached the bed, "My name's Keith. Keith Turner, I'm an agent with the CIA." He gripped the rail, and asked, "How are you feeling, Mr. Axe?"

"How... would you expect me to feel," Sam asked with a voice that sounded as if it came from a gravel pit. His throat burned.

Turner must have noticed the distress on Sam's face, because he turned toward the cart and picked up a closed container and brought it to him. "Here's some water. Why don't you try that? Maybe it'll help."

Sam eyed him before raising his head just enough to take a sip. The head of his bed was at a forty-five degree angle, so he didn't have to move much to get a drink. He took a long drag. It was lukewarm, but the water still felt like a balm against the scratchiness.

"Thanks."

"No problem." Turner placed the container on the cart and turned back to Sam. "I know you're in a lot of pain right now and you've been trying to suck it up. You're a strong man, Axe. I know your type. You may have retired, but you're a SEAL through and through." He tapped on Sam's chest. "Right in here, you're tough, resilient, and your loyalty knows no bounds." Turner nodded. "Know how I know that? I was in your boots, man."

He pulled back and stood straight, hands on his hips, while Sam stared at him. The close-cropped shock of graying blonde hair looked vaguely familiar. His eyes, once a striking ice blue, seemed to have faded over the years. One thing hadn't changed, and Sam noticed it even with the guy wearing a suit; he was thin, wiry, and all muscle underneath his clothes. Sam closed his eyes and he could see him as if it was yesterday.

"Lieutenant Commander Keith Turner," Sam muttered. He opened his eyes again and turned his brown orbs to Turner's blues. "How'd you get so lucky to be on my case?"

"They wanted the best, and they got it," Turner replied with a cocky tone. "You still keep in touch with the guys from Four?"

Sam shook his head. "Not really. What about you and Team Three?"

"Nah. Half those guys, you wouldn't even recognize 'em. One of 'em is in a high security correctional facility for murdering his wife." Turner shook his head. "I don't know what happened. It's like the whole world is going crazy, our guys included." The way he looked, Sam assumed that Turner thought the same of him. He confirmed it by saying, "Sam, I don't know why you'd get involved with Michael Westen. That guy was trouble from the get go, and now look at you. You almost died because of him."

"Who says Mike was trouble? That fake CIA file? Tom Card? Olivia Riley?" Sam said too much, but he couldn't help himself. He wouldn't let this man, despite the fact that he was a compatriot, malign his best friend. "The agency burned a good man, Keith."

"If he was so good, I need proof. My partner, Griffin Rourke, he doesn't care. He just wants to wring you out for intel and send you off to Gitmo or somewhere for treason. All because you killed one of ours."

A slight smile played on Sam's lips. "Come on, Keith, don't play that good cop bad cop stuff on me. You know I was trained in the same place you were for interrogation. I'm only going to tell you what I want to tell you."

"Yeah." Keith smiled, the expression anything but a gesture of happiness. He let out a sigh and stared at the rumpled sheets. "Okay, so why don't I just cut the crap and I'll tell you what we want? It won't be so bad, really."

"What am I being charged with?"

Keith pursed his lips before answering. "We could throw a whole book of charges at you, Axe, but the only thing the government is interested in right now is your involvement with Westen and murdering Agent Riley."

"So am I, or am I not, being officially charged with something?" Sam's question took his entire breath. He glared at Turner, silent and waiting for an honest answer.

"They're still investigating, but yeah, you could possibly be charged with murdering an agent of the United States government." Keith let out a breath and turned away, shaking his head. When he returned his gaze to Sam's, his eyes were full of honesty when he spoke. "Help me out here, Sam, because I don't wanna see you go down for this. I remember you were a good, honest man, and of all the people I thought would crack, you weren't even on my list."

"I appreciate that, Keith."

"Prove me right. Please."

Keith Turner wasn't exactly a friend. Sam was in his first assignment with the guy, before he and Keith became SEALs and were put into different teams. They trained together, and Sam knew this guy was good when it came to interrogation. His partner, Griffin Rourke, was a doofus. Why the CIA took him was anybody's guess.

"Okay, Sam, this is it. Mind if I sit here?" He pointed to the edge of the bed.

"Go ahead." He tried to move over to give Keith a little more room, but it caused too much pain.

"Hey, stay where you are." Keith held up a hand. "Now, I'm going to tell you what we're looking for. We want everything you know about the people that your buddy Michael took down over the past six years. What they were doing, why he felt justified in murdering them..."

"I can guarantee you it wasn't murder."

"I suppose killing Tom Card was in self defense? The ballistics showed that Tyler Gray shot at Card and missed, Card shot in self defense, and then Michael shot Card. Why would he do that?"

"I don't know. I'd tell you to ask Mike, but..."

Keith laughed, the sound bouncing off the walls in an eerie fashion. "You think Weston is dead? He's alive, and he's being kept in a secure facility."

It was all Sam could do to keep the emotion from showing on his face. If it was true, no doubt Keith expected him to rejoice and then in good faith give up some useful intel. If he played it cool, in time Sam would discover if it was true or a trick.

"Well then, you can talk to him." Sam turned cold eyes on Keith. "What about Fiona? She'll back up anything either of us says."

Keith stared into Sam's eyes, when he replied with a monotone, "She's fine. She's being kept separate from Westen, but she's in a safe place. Don't worry."

He's lying. Sam knew it as sure as he knew he'd lost his spleen to a CIA bullet. "If I tell you what you want to know, I want something first."

"You're in no condition to be bargaining, Sam. If you don't talk, you're going to a tropical place, but you won't like it there. Trust me. No pretty girls and mojitos for you."

"I don't care about pretty girls," Sam replied with a slight tremor in his voice.

The corner of the agent's mouth tipped up. "Oh yeah, that's right. You've got yourself a steady honey. Elsa. She's a hottie, Sam. Gotta hand it to you, man, you always knew how to catch the babes." Keith pulled something out of his inside suit pocket and held it up so Sam could see it.

Sam's eyes riveted on a picture of Elsa. It looked like a surveillance photo taken from far away, because she was out of focus a little and the whole scene seemed flat. She wore an intent expression on her face as she walked to a vehicle, her keys in her hand. Keith flipped the photo behind another, a shot of her glancing at her phone, followed by another picture of her looking worried as she stared into the distance.

"That expression is for you, Sam. If you tell me what we want to know, I can swing it so she can come see you." He smirked. "Maybe even arrange a conjugal visit or two."

"I won't tell you anything unless I can exchange information for my freedom," Sam declared, closing his eyes to avoid seeing the intense anxiety in Elsa's eyes. He didn't want her to wear that face for him.

"Oh, I see. Maybe like a signature bond of sorts. You spill, we give you your freedom until the government decides to charge you and put you on trial. In the meantime, you get your girlfriend and run to a place that doesn't have an extradition treaty with the United States. Yeah, that'll fly, Axe. Not."

"Elsa has a business," Sam exclaimed. "I wouldn't ask her to give that up for me. Otherwise, she would have been with us when we..." He shook his head, disappointed in himself. He'd almost given Keith a nibble.

"I can probably get you a visit with her here, since you're hardly in a position to run away right now," Keith said, watching Sam and calculating his reaction.

Sam lay his head back on the pillow and channeled some exhaustion. "I'll think about it."

"Good. I'll bring Westen's file along tomorrow and we can go through it." Keith grinned. "Kind of like going over a scrapbook from the old days. It'll be fun. You'll see."

"You'd be better off bringing a copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales, Keith, because that's all that file is. Fiction." Sam gazed at him.

"We'll see. Night, Sam." Keith slid off the bed and sauntered to the door. Outside, he heard Keith talking to Rourke, who sounded quite peeved while Keith crowed about his victory.

Sam let out a sound of disgust. He should have tried harder to repel Keith's innuendos and statements. He gave away just enough to make Keith think that he had Sam where he wanted him. His throat parched, Sam reached for the container on the cart, but it was too far away. He leaned to the right, turning his entire body, and his hip rolled onto something. With screaming pain shooting through his abdomen and chest, he rolled back to where he started and reached down to the item. To his surprise, it was a cell phone left in the folds of his blanket.

"Keith, are you setting me up?" He whispered, afraid that the room might be bugged. He wouldn't put anything past the CIA, hoping that he would talk in his sleep or during a moment of delirium.

Pulling the back off the phone, he checked it thoroughly for bugs or any tracking devices. It was clean. He closed it, flipped it over and over in his hands, debating what he was about to do. If he was wrong, he could be playing right into the agents' hands. If he was right, his old acquaintance was giving him a key to contacting Elsa. He waited and hid it underneath his body when the door opened. The nurse came in and she smiled at him.

"Mr. Axe, it's nice to see your eyes open more often." She approached the bed and looked at the screen, unlocked the computer, and made notes as she checked on him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." He gave her one of his dashing smiles and asked, "What's your name? I mean, I've been here how long now and I don't know who you are."

She turned and gave him a sweet smile. "My name is Jamie. You've been here for almost three weeks, Mr. Axe. Until this week, you were in very serious shape, and you spent quite a bit of time in the ICU."

"Where is that?"

Her eyebrow went up. "The ICU?"

"Yeah," he replied and with his index finger pointed around the room, then pantomimed a map. At least, he hoped that she saw it as a map.

"It's upstairs, Mr. Axe." She nodded and picked up the chart she carried in with her. Flipping to a blank page, she wrote on it and turned it to face him.

"You don't have to call me Mr. Axe. Call me Sam, please." He read what she'd written. 'Hospital in Milwaukee. Feds moving soon as you are well enough.' He nodded his thanks.

"Not a problem, Sam. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I could use a drink," he said.

"Sure." She picked up the container and held it out so he could sip from the straw. "You wanna hang onto that for awhile? I'll get you some colder water first, and then you can have all you want."

"Thank you, Jamie." Sam lay back against the pillows and waited for her to return. Any second, he expected someone to come barging in, telling him he was busted.

However, only Nurse Jamie came back with a filled container and another smile. "I put some ice in there for you. When you're done, you can just tuck it in between the rail and the mattress. It'll stay there just fine." She looked around the room for a moment and locked her eyes on his. "I would bring a tray table in here, but they won't let me. I don't know why."

"It's okay. This'll work just fine."

"Great. Night, Sam. Try to get some rest and I'll be back in before my shift is over at eleven."

"Okay." He didn't notice until then that the light from outside had dimmed to nothing. It was night, possibly five o'clock, given the time of year. It would be six in Miami. Sam slipped the phone out and kept an eye on the door. The little bit of activity was starting to wear him out, so he stopped and took a few breaths of fresh oxygen through his nose. He turned on the phone, tapped in a quick message, and sent it to Elsa. All the while he prayed that it wouldn't get either of them in trouble.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Ever since Sam disappeared with his friends, trying to outrun that evil Riley woman, the CIA kept close watch on Elsa. They browbeat her in an attempt to get information, but she was smart and Sam instructed her well. At first she tried to deny that they were a couple, that she didn't know him anymore. That's what Sam told her to say. The agents didn't believe her, and they pressed on. With warrants in hand, agents scoured the hotel and took away all the things Sam left behind, scaring her customers in the process and bringing bad publicity down on the hotel. It would take a lot of spin from her marketing department to recover from it.

An agent followed her everywhere, so if she wasn't at home, she was at the hotel. It was easier than going places and suffering having a tail. At odd times, Riley or another agent came and interrogated her, but she had nothing to offer. Sam didn't tell her where they were going, so she had no clue.

As the days and weeks turned into months, the agents laid off somewhat. Elsa always felt a shadow behind her, but at least they stopped asking useless questions. One day, she knew when it was all over: on the internet she found a report of a CIA operation that turned into a bloodbath in the upper peninsula of Michigan. The illicit news source showed photos of an older man being airlifted to a hospital, but the report didn't say which one. Elsa recognized Sam, even with all the blood.

"Now that you've captured everyone, will you and your people stop bothering me," Elsa asked the agent who took up his watch outside her office as she passed him on her way to the restaurant for lunch.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, ma'am." He replied as he fell into step with her.

In an alcove away from the lobby, she stopped, turned on the ball of her foot and confronted him. In her heels, she was as tall as the agent, so he had no mistaking the anger in her eyes when she leveled them at him.

"Don't you lie to me! I saw the pictures. I saw Sam being carted off somewhere. Is he alright? Michael and Fiona, are they okay? I deserve to know!" She pushed an index finger into his chest. "If you don't tell me, I promise you I will contact friends in high places in major news sources, and they will blow this thing all over the airwaves. Then the CIA will have to run and hide."

The agent swallowed and straightened his tie. "Ma'am, I can neither confirm nor deny that anything happened in Michigan. If something happened to Mr. Axe, I can assure you that he is in good hands and is being well taken care of."

So it was true! She never said anything about Michigan, and he played right into her hand. "What about Michael, Fiona, and Jesse?"

In all her years in business, she knew when someone was lying and when the truth was too painful for them to reveal. His silence gave her the answer she needed.

Elsa shook her head in disgust. "I don't know how you can sleep at night and continue to do your job," she muttered and pushed away from him. Her heels clattered on the marble floor as she returned to her office. On the way past her secretary, she said, "Make sure that cretin from the CIA stays out of my office this afternoon. I need to be alone." The door slammed behind her, and she locked it.

"Shall I hold your calls, ma'am?" The secretary spoke through the closed door.

"Yes! I just want everyone to leave me alone for awhile."

"Yes, ma'am." The secretary went back to her desk and kept the wolf at bay.

Elsa spent three hours tearing apart her office looking for a bug. Sam had taught her well, and she found four of them. Each one she lined up on the floor and ground her heel into them until the devices were nothing more than ground up wire and plastic. She checked her phone and found it was clean. Then she used it.

The phone number belonged to a burn phone that Elsa had delivered to Maddie's house at Sam's request if he and his friends were gone for more than a month. It was hidden well, but in a way that Maddie would know how to find it. Elsa hoped she did and that she would pick up.

Maddie answered with a cautious voice. "Hello?"

Elsa said, "May I ask who this is?"

"You may. Who is this?"

Elsa had almost forgotten the last part, the key that would open up the communication between her and Madeline Westen. "There's a sale at the boutique."

Madeline sighed. "I found the red dress."

Elsa closed her eyes and sat back in her chair. "Mrs. Westen, this is Elsa. Don't talk, just listen. I heard about Sam being injured in a shootout with the CIA somewhere in Michigan. I don't know where he is now or if he's even alive. I don't know about Michael or Fiona."

"Elsa, that happened almost two months ago. You only heard about it now?"

"Months? I... I saw something on an internet news feed." Her mouth hung open, dumbstruck.

"I couldn't tell you why it's only coming to light now. I just know that it happened, and the CIA returned... returned Michael and Fiona's bodies to me." Her voice ended in a high pitched squeak. "They were so mangled, I could barely tell them apart."

"Mrs. Westen, I'm so sorry," Elsa said, her throat constricting. "I hope that nothing Sam did brought this on them."

"No, it wasn't his fault. They couldn't keep running forever. You know that."

"I know, but I'd hoped that they could at least clear their names." Elsa sniffed. "Well, since you already know, I'm sorry to have reopened the wounds, Mrs. Westen."

"It's okay. You just do what you have to do to find Sam." Maddie hung up before Elsa could say anything.

"How am I going to do that?" Her cell phone beeped and an envelope icon appeared on the screen. It came from a number she didn't recognize. Cautious, she took a chance and opened it.

_Smile, it's me. Remember the rainbow. Laid up in Milwaukee, moving any time. Love you, beautiful. Myams._

Tears sprung to Elsa's eyes as she responded. _Msg here. Love you. _There was no doubt it was from Sam. Only the two of them knew about the rainbow reference, and he garbled his name Sammy. That was an easy one to decipher, but the rainbow... Elsa smiled.

She set the phone on her desk, not expecting to get another message. _Pearce, Mumbai. Find and return to States. Our only hope._

Pearce. Elsa mumbled the name so low, she almost didn't hear herself speak it. Who is... Elsa took a deep breath, rising from her seat and hurrying to the wall where a secret panel was well hidden. When the CIA came with a warrant to search her office, she neglected to tell them about the safe or the secret panel. She had two safes in the office. One for the general secure papers, and another for the ultra secret things that Sam asked her to store and keep away from everyone except his friends and himself.

The safe opened and she sifted through the folders inside. A ragged breath escaped her when she found what she sought. Danielle Pearce was sent to Mumbai by Tom Card after she supposedly screwed up a mission, the one that resulted in Nate's death. From the intel Sam and Michael gave her, it appeared that Pearce was onto Card and would have exposed him, so he sent her far away.

"It's time for you to come home, Agent Pearce. And I'm going to make sure you get here safe and sound." Elsa shoved everything back into the safe, locked it, and closed the panel. She exited her office and found the night shift agent waiting for her. "Oh shove off, why don't you? Can't a girl go upstairs to her suite and enjoy a nice hot bubble bath without you vultures ogling her?"

"Ma'am, I'm not allowed in your bathroom..."

She shot over her shoulder as she pushed the elevator button. "Damn right, you're not. And tonight I want some peace and quiet so you're not allowed in my suite either. If your boss doesn't like that, tough luck." The door opened, Elsa stepped back to let a couple exit, smiling at them in a friendly manner. They returned the smile as they passed. Elsa got into the elevator and pushed the penthouse button, not caring whether the agent attempted to get in or not. He did.

Elsa wouldn't look at him. She was too busy running scenarios in her head, things that Sam taught her. At the time it all seemed so overwhelming, but he loved her enough to prepare her for something like this. Everything hinged on getting rid of her shadow. The elevator stopped, the door opened, and she got off with the agent trailing behind.

Smiling at the doorman, Elsa said, "Gregory, I don't want to be disturbed tonight. He's staying out here with you."

"Yes, Madame." Gregory gave the agent an eye, threatening him not to go further than the suite's door. He complied and sat in a chair nearby, glaring at the man.

Elsa locked the door and leaned against it, sighing out a lungful of air. She kicked off her shoes and took them to the bedroom. Picking up the phone, she said, "I would like a bowl of soup and a grilled turkey panini brought up to the penthouse suite. Thank you."

While she waited for the meal, Elsa set her plan in motion. She pulled out a small suitcase and filled it with enough clothing for a couple of days. Then she called the airport. "I'd like my plane to be ready. I need to make an emergency trip to India tonight. Yes, tonight." The way she said it, the person on the other end knew there was no arguing with her. "Thank you."

A knock on the door signaled that her food arrived. She smiled, met the young man at the door, and escorted him inside. She gave him a generous tip and waved as he waited for the elevator. Elsa noted the longing expression on the agent's face.

"Smells good, huh? If you're nice, maybe I'll order something for you."

"I promise, ma'am, I won't bother you all night."

"Of course you won't." She slammed the door. Her hands were shaking because this was where things could get really dicey if she didn't do this right.

Elsa ran to the bathroom and her hands bumped and shuffled the bottles in the medicine cabinet until she found the one at the back, the one she kept for an emergency when she couldn't sleep. There were six pills inside. Too many. She grabbed three, put one more back, and ground up the two in her hand. Then she sprinkled the powder onto the soup, stirred it until the grit was mixed well, and she wiped off the spoon and set it beside the bowl. Then she unlocked the door and pushed the cart out to the lobby.

"Madame, is the meal not to your liking," Gregory asked.

"I'm sorry, I decided I'm not hungry after all." With a hand on her hip, she turned to the agent. "If you want it, it's all yours. Otherwise I'll call the busboy and have him pick it up."

The agent smiled at the attractive meal. "Ma'am, no need to waste it. Thank you for your kindness."

"You're welcome." She smiled. "Look, I know you're human too, and you've got to eat like everybody else. I should have ordered something for you too, and I feel bad about that. I shouldn't let my anger make me into a rude host."

"No problem, ma'am. This is really great!" The agent pushed the cart to the chair where he seated himself and dug into the soup.

That was too easy. Sammy, I can't believe these agents are that dumb! She finished preparing for her trip, and after a half hour, went to check on the agent. She found him slumped over, his head in the soup, and Gregory tsking and shaking his head.

"Madame, I don't know what happened! One second he was enjoying the soup and panini, and then he was... out!"

"Don't worry about him. Why don't you put him in my room?" Elsa smiled, a sly expression on her face. "I have an idea."

By the time she left, Elsa had some very compromising photographs on her cell phone, ready to upload to the CIA if necessary. "Now, Gregory, don't tell anyone about this. When he wakes up, make up some story about him being ill and we put him to bed. Okay?" She smiled wide.

"Yes, Madame." Gregory's smile was conspiratorial as he nodded. "If this helps get these people out of our hotel, I'll be happy to assist."

"I'm hoping this will help me bring Sam home," Elsa said as she wheeled her suitcase to the elevator. "Wish me luck, Gregory."

"Blessings on your endeavor, Madame."

The elevator doors closed on Elsa. She got off before the lobby, taking the stairs to the parking garage. She hurried to the car she bought for Sam and his friends in case they needed a ride to escape town. They never used it, but it would help her get to the airport without detection. She started it up, put it in reverse, and stopped herself.

_Don't forget to check under the car, and under the dash, when you're looking for bugs and trackers._

Sam's words came back to her, and she turned off the engine. She wouldn't go anywhere until she was certain the car was clean. Her breath caught when she found a small rectangular device under the back bumper that was wired to the license plate lights. It took almost all her strength, but she ripped it off and threw it away under the car next to hers. Then she got in and drove to the airport, hoping that the agency didn't discover that the tracker moved a short distance and investigate. If they did, hopefully Elsa and her airplane would be long gone by then.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Keith walked into the room and studied his partner. Rourke stood within sight, staring at Sam lying in the bed. Rourke looked peeved, as usual. Sam's eyes were closed, his head listing to the side appearing to be asleep. "What's up, partner?" He was gracious enough to get Rourke a cup of coffee from the cafeteria before he came up, and he handed it to him.

"Sleeping beauty has been out since I took watch," Rourke replied and slurped the coffee. "Did you bring the file?"

"Yes." Keith held it up.

"Good." Rourke turned and ripped it out of Keith's hand. "Let me at him."

"Hey, hey, settle down there, cowboy." Keith took the file away from him and tucked it under his arm. In a soft voice, he said, "Look, I know Sam. We go way back. Let me handle this, and it'll go a lot smoother. I know you wanna beat it out of him, but when he's already hurting, it won't help." He locked on his partner's steely eyes. "You know I'm right."

"Yeah. I'll be right outside in case you need a little muscle." Rourke lumbered past him.

"I've got plenty of my own, and I won't need it. Trust me."

Rourke flapped a hand at him, and Keith sighed. How he ever got stuck with that hot head, he would never know. He must have done something to get on Card's bad side. Maybe knowing too much about his personal life had something to do with it. Letting out another breath, Keith approached the bed, his eyes riveted on Sam. In the diffused sunlight permeating the window covering, he looked better today. His sleep appeared to be more peaceful. Sam straightened his injured leg and winced.

"Hey Sam, it's me, Keith." He spoke low to avoid startling him.

His eyes fluttered, and Sam opened them, turning his gaze on his visitor. "Mmm, hey Keith. Come back for more useless interrogating?" He made a move to stretch, but the pain took his breath away.

"Sam, do you need anything?"

Sam was surprised at the concern written on Keith's face. He had a folder with him, but he tossed that aside on the cart before gripping the rail and staring at him. Sam brought his arms down, his hand searching for the button that would administer the morphine. But he stopped, because he realized he almost let the pain win. That and the fact that he needed to have a clear head and avoid anything hairy that Keith threw at him. If he expected to answer any questions, he needed to be sharp and answer them in a way that was the truth, but yet help his case and clear Mike and Fiona's names. Even if they were dead, they at least deserved to have a better legacy than what the government chose to give them.

"I'm fine, Keith. I just need to let it pass."

"You always were a tough guy, Sam." Keith's right cheek twitched with his lopsided smile. "Reminds me of my sister when she had her kids. Both of them, she never took the drugs."

"You're comparing me to your sister? That's not gonna win you any cooperation points," Sam muttered.

"I didn't mean it like that! Jeez, I forgot how you roll." Keith turned away, picked up the thick folder, and returned to put his full attention on Sam. He held the file in one hand and stabbed the air with it as he spoke. "This is everything we have on Michael Westen's activities for the past six years. I'd like for you to help me clear this up."

"There's nothing to clear up. If Card hadn't been behind his burning, Mikey never would have had to do any of that stuff, if what you have there is even the truth." He met Keith's eyes. "The only truth you need to know is that we cleaned up a lot of bad people that our government would have had to deal with along with Card."

"So you say Wetsen was just cleaning house, is that it?"

"Yeah, in a nutshell."

"It doesn't matter how bad they were, Sam. He should have captured these people and brought them to us. We would have handled things." Keith responded with a defensive tone.

"Yeah, I could see that working with Card sitting on the throne." Sam turned away for a moment to collect himself. If he wasn't careful, he'd blow everything.

"Believe it or not, I'm on your side."

Sam turned his head and gave him the most unconvinced look he could muster. "You expect me to believe that? You're trying to find something to take me down and make Mike and Fi look like monsters. Well, that's not gonna happen, pal, because the monsters were in your own house. Card, Anson, and Riley for starters. Not to mention all the freelancers they picked up along the way to do Card's dirty work."

"You have any proof of this other than your word?"

Keith was either looking for an Academy Award or he really believed that Sam had something to justify his position. Sam answered him. "I was there, Keith. In the thick of everything."

"So you're admitting you're an accessory."

Nodding, Sam looked down at the covers. He wasn't thrilled about things blowing up on him, but it was the truth. "The point is, we could never have gone to the agency. Mike was on the outs, and Card kept it that way to keep him isolated. Fi and I, and later Jesse, did what we could to help him get back in. We had no idea what a tangled mess we'd have to deal with to get him there."

"And then he turned around and killed Card. That's gratitude for ya, for all Card did for him."

"Yeah, he put Mike, and us, through six years of hell. Real nice guy." Sam shook his head. "You'll never understand, Keith."

"Until you can give me some solid proof that Riley was in on this with Card and that Card was dirty, the United States will prosecute you for murdering Agent Riley. There were witnesses who saw you do it, Sam. Ballistics match with your gun." Keith sighed. "If it was justified, they might knock it down or not charge you at all."

"It was justified. She was trying to kill us," Sam blurted. "She shot me in the leg. And she took Mike and Fi down with their backs to her, defenseless. So let me ask you, who's the real murderer in this situation?"

"I told you, she didn't kill anybody," Keith said with a stony expression, but Sam knew him well enough to know that he was trying to hold back from blowing up at him.

"I saw it with my own two eyes, Keith. My friends were lying in a pool of their own blood, and there was a lot of it." Sam's voice broke and he blinked away the tears.

"They were both severely injured, but they're not dead." Keith leaned closer to Sam and his voice was so low, it was almost a whisper. "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but they're alive. They're being kept in a secret facility right now, being well taken care of, until Michael can tell us the truth."

"If what you're saying is true, he won't talk unless he knows that the agency won't find a way to put this all back on him and condemn him."

Keith sucked in his lips, released them and smiled. "I know that, Sam. I'm just doing what I can to make things easier on your friends."

"Where's Jesse," Sam asked. "Do you have him too?"

"Yes. He's being kept in a safe house right now," Keith answered. "Like you, he doesn't trust us and won't give up anything."

Sighing, Sam leaned back and closed his eyes. The pain was starting to get to him again and tiring him. "Jesse's a good man."

"Westen did pretty good getting you all together in a team. Gotta give him props for that." Keith pulled back and straightened his stance. "So you're not going to help me go through this file and set things straight?"

"I've already said all I'm going to say," Sam replied.

"I figured that." Keith patted his shoulder. "I'm going to park myself over there in that chair, and if you change your mind, let me know. Okay?"

"Don't hold your breath, or you'll pass out," Sam advised. He closed his eyes again and drifted off into a half sleep. He couldn't let himself go completely, because he was afraid he might say something in the middle of his dreams and give Keith something to work on the next time he interrogated him.

Three days straight, Keith tried getting something out of Sam that would back up what he had in the file or point him to evidence that Card was the mastermind of the network that burned Michael and sent him on such a long chase. Sam resisted him, and when Keith threw up his hands and let Rourke have a shot, Sam gave them even less to work with. He'd forgotten how well Sam stood up to interrogation in training. The only way to get him to talk would be through physical intimidation. Slap him around or beat him almost to death, and maybe, just maybe, he would talk.

Rourke was all for that, Keith was certain. He would have beat Sam to the point of putting him into a coma if Keith left the two alone. That gave him an idea. He waited until Rourke went to the cafeteria and he scurried to the nurses' station.

"Hey there," Keith approached the nurse. "Jamie, right?"

"Yes, that's my name. Is there something wrong with Mr. Axe?" Her dark blue eyes showed concern for her patient.

"He's fine. I was wondering when the doctors will be taking away the morphine drip."

Her brows came down over eyes that narrowed and studied him. "I can't discuss that with you. HIPAA laws, you know."

Keith smirked. "We're the government, Jamie. If I need that info, I can find out other ways. I'd rather get it from you, because I know you care about Sam and so do I. He's an old friend, and I want to see him healthy enough to get out of here."

"Why do you need to know about his medications?" She still didn't believe him.

Keith gritted his teeth. She's almost as good as an agent. Leaning against the nurses' station counter, he grinned at her. "I need your help with something. The sooner we get the truth out of Sam, the sooner we go away and leave him alone to heal properly. If you were to replace his morphine with something else that would assist us in finding that truth..."

"Agent Turner!" Jamie stood, planted her knuckles on the desk, and got into his face with a snarl on hers. "What you're asking me to do is not only illegal, but dangerous. I don't care if you throw your Federal weight around here. I will not be a party to this, and none of the other nurses on this floor will do it for you!" She pulled back and said, "If you even think of trying anything, I'll have the administration down on you so fast, you'll be the one behind bars, not Mr. Axe."

Keith smirked. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Nurse. We have no intention of putting Axe behind bars. If he tells us what we want to know, maybe no one will go to prison." His eyes softened as his hands gripped the edge of the counter. "Please, Miss, we need your help getting to the truth."

"No, I'm sorry. I can't risk my license doing something that might hurt Mr. Axe." Her eyes slid to the right, noting that a co-worker heard her declaration. Turning back with a look of triumph on her face, Jamie said, "Agent Turner, I think that you and your friend need to leave. Now."

The other nurse was on the phone, and from what Keith heard, she was reporting the tail end of his conversation with Jamie. Pushing away from the counter, he held up his hands. "Fine. But don't think this is over. As soon as Axe is well enough to move, he's being taken to a high security facility where the resources aren't quite as nice. Compared to the interrogation techniques at that facility, I've been using kid gloves." He nodded and turned toward the elevators. "Good day."

Keith heard the intake of her breath, and he could imagine her holding it in fear for Sam's safety. He could hardly wait until the doctors cleared Sam to leave. Then the agency would have more control, and it wouldn't take long to get what they wanted. He regretted that it might further injure his old acquaintance, but sometimes hard choices needed to be made.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Elsa had no idea how she would find Agent Pearce in Mumbai. It wasn't like you could just walk into a storefront and ask where the CIA office was. Fortunately, she had connections, lots of connections in India. By the time she landed, Yakhim waited for her, grinning, with a black Mercedes with tinted windows.

"Ah, Madam Elsa, you are looking more beautiful every time I see you," he said, grinning as she stopped in front of him. "Let me take your bag."

"Thank you, Yakhi." Elsa smiled and handed him her bag. "Did you get in contact with your friend?"

"Yes, and he only needs a photo. All the other things are in order," Yakhim answered, his curried breath tickling her ear.

He opened the back door, letting her inside, before he stowed her bag. Elsa settled into the seat and put on her lap belt. The way Yakhi drove, she'd need it. He careened through the streets, barely swiping past riders on bicycles and motorbikes overburdened with merchandise and livestock. Tiny cars that looked like toys zipped around them like Yahki did, and if Elsa wasn't so concerned about keeping track of where he was taking her, she would have closed her eyes. However, she knew from experience that would only result in an upset stomach.

When Yakhi parked at the curb and shut down the engine, Elsa breathed a sigh of relief. She unbuckled her seatbelt and slid to the curbside door that he already had open for her. He grinned, his dark skin shiny with perspiration. He must have been just as scared as she.

"Here is my friend's shop. You will see how good his identification badges are, Madam Elsa." He spoke close to her again, and it was all she could do to keep from pinching her nose. Between the spices and the sweating, smelling him for any longer than necessary would have caused her to swoon, but not in a good way.

Elsa nodded and headed into the shop directly in front of her. Ten minutes later, she walked out with a CIA badge that was guaranteed to fool even the best agents. Or so she was told. Now if only she knew where the agency was located.

"Yakhi, I need to go to the American consulate."

He drove her to the large stone building and waited while she went inside. Elsa entered through a large glass door and walked up to the front desk as if she belonged there. She smiled at the woman who could make or break her mission.

"Hello," the woman greeted her with a deep accent. "How may I help you?"

Elsa leaned on the counter and studied the bright blue and aqua sari she wore. Smiling, she said, "That is an incredibly beautiful sari. Where did you get that material?"

The woman blushed behind her dark skin. "Thank you, ma'am. I found it in the market place. If you go you will see much more beautiful fabrics."

"I plan on it," Elsa purred and smiled wider. "I just need to finish my mission first." She pulled out the folio with the CIA badge. "I've never been to India before, and I was told to come here to the consulate to get my orders."

"Your orders? You are with the Central Intelligence Agency, yes?"

"I am. I was told the office was here."

The woman shook her head. "No, no, no. The office is nearby, however." She drew a map for Elsa and described the building. "It is much smaller than the consulate, but very similar. You will find a sign announcing that it is the East Indian Trading Company."

"Ah, a front to hide what really happens there." Elsa nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. I can call them if you would like, to let them know you are coming." She picked up the phone.

Elsa held up a hand to stop her. "No, that's not necessary. They are expecting me, I just needed to locate the office. Thank you." She turned on her heel and hurried out of the consulate, determined to arrive before the over-helpful receptionist decided to be proactive. Yakhi leaned against the car, but when he saw Elsa emerge with her determined stride, he scrambled to open the door.

"Where are we going, Madam Elsa?"

"Here's a map," Elsa replied and shoved it at him as she got into the back seat. "Follow it, please."

Elsa hung on tight while Yakhim raced through the streets. Her stomach felt queasy as she got out, between the ride and the smells all around her. It was sensory overload. If her business in Mumbai wasn't so desperate, she might have enjoyed the dynamics of the people and their lifestyle; but this was a serious quest she was on, and Elsa didn't need anything to get in the way.

"Agent Nelson, I'm here to see Agent Pearce. It's important." She flashed her badge, hoping that the ID didn't get more than a cursory glance. She still didn't trust that it could pass a deep inspection.

"Of course, Agent Nelson. One moment." The receptionist, a young man who looked fresh out of America's heartland, got on the phone and hit a button. "Agent Pearce? Yes, there's an Agent Nelson here to see you. Uh huh, she said it was important. Wait, let me ask." He covered the phone and asked, "What is this in regards to?"

Elsa's brain went into overdrive before she blurted her reply, instincts taking over. "Tell her my visit is regarding Nate. She'll know what I'm talking about."

"Yes, ma'am." He relayed the information, nodded, and glanced up at Elsa as he set the receiver in its cradle. "You can go right in, Agent Nelson. She's in the second office on the right."

"Thank you." The door behind him buzzed and clicked, unlocking and allowing her to pass through. She turned right and almost ran to the second door. It stood open and as she approached, Agent Pearce appeared and stood in it, her arms crossed in front of her, staring at Elsa with suspicion in her eyes.

"You're Agent Nelson?"

Elsa responded with a smile. "Yes, I am." She noted a hint of recognition in the other woman's expression. "We need to talk."

Pearce glanced up and down the hall before stepping aside and letting her into the office. She closed the door behind her. "Okay, who are you really?"

"I'm Elsa, Sam's girlfriend," she answered.

"What are you doing here?"

Taking the chair Pearce ushered her to with a hand, she crossed her legs and rested her folded hands on one knee. "I don't know if you've heard what's happened in Miami the past year or so since you left..."

"I'm in the CIA. I know, albeit the information is usually not quite so fresh when I get it." Pearce took the seat across from her in front of her desk and grimaced. "That's why Card had me stationed here. He knew what I suspected, but he wasn't sure if I was positive. Keeping me away from good intel served his purposes, and now I'm stuck here until someone decides to call me back to the States."

"I take it from your tone that you're certain about what you have on Card."

"Yes. And as much as I wish Michael hadn't shot Card, I think the world is a much better place without that slimeball. So, what can I do for you?"

"Sam is in a hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I don't know why he's there when he was attacked in upper Michigan. Michael and Fiona were killed, and the CIA is trying to get Sam to talk." She stopped, working to control her emotions.

"Milwaukee probably had the best severe trauma center," Pearce informed her.

Nodding, Elsa got right to the point. "Sam needs your help to set things right."

She could see that Pearce was taken aback by her forthrightness, but she only smiled and said, "I guess it's time to return to the States, dig up the information I've put in a safe place, and clear Team Westen."

"Yes. Sam will wind up in prison otherwise, Agent Pearce." Her brow wrinkled and her folded hands tightened in supplication. "I love him more than anything, and I will do whatever I can to make sure he stays free." She swallowed. "That's why I'm here with a fake ID." She gave Pearce a sad smile.

"Don't worry. Michael Westen was a good agent. I really wish... if I could have, I would have found a way to end this without him dying."

"I still can't get over it that he's gone. I imagine it has to be killing Sam, and it hurts that I can't be there for him."

"Did you fly commercial?"

"No, I brought my own plane." Elsa asked, "Why? Is that a problem?"

"If the agency knows your tail number, it could be. No doubt the agency, once it figured out you left the country, worked to get the flight plan information. By now someone most likely knows you're here." Pearce rose from her chair and opened a closet. Inside, a dark purple sari dangled from a hanger among a coat and an extra suit. "What size are you?"

"Uh, I'm an eight." Elsa eyed the beautiful garment, and in the next second, she found herself catching it.

"Put that on. I have another one here," Pearce said as she pulled out a deep rose colored costume. "Once we've changed we'll get out of here, out the back, through the garden."

"Thank you." She stood and asked, "Should I call my pilot and tell him to head back to Miami without me?"

"No, we'll keep your plane as a last resort backup. When we're in the air, you can send the pilot a message."

"Sounds like a good plan."

While Elsa changed, Pearce went to make arrangements for their departure, then returned to the office to change. The women helped each other with their hair and attaching veils that would help to hide their features. From a box, Pearce brought out a wide variety of jewelry. Elsa selected dozens of bangle bracelets to make herself look more like she belonged. The finishing touch included heavy eye and lip makeup, and the two women examined each other.

"I think you're ready," Pearce declared with a satisfied smile. "How about me?" She turned slowly, the fabric swaying around her body.

"Looks good. Are you sure this will help us fit in?"

"Enough to get us on that plane out of here. Lots of Americans who've lived her for awhile will dress this way, so we won't look out of place." She picked up a cloth bag and threw the contents of her purse into it. She gave another to Elsa. "You're lucky I keep these costumes in my office."

"And I'm vey grateful that you do," Elsa exclaimed. She shoved her empty purse into the closet where Pearce tossed her clothing. "Thank you, Dani, for helping me help Sam."

"He hasn't exactly been an agency darling, and there were times I wanted to wring his neck, but he's a good man, Elsa." She held onto her cell phone and slipped the shoulder strap of her bag diagonally across her body. "I'll contact Ravi on the way. He'll have everything we need when we arrive at the airport."

Elsa and Dani slipped out a back door that led to a lush garden. If it were under better circumstances, Elsa would have loved to sit and enjoy it. Instead, she followed Dani to a door in the wrought iron fence. It was locked, but Dani used a hairpin to get it open, and then they were on the street. Blending into the crowds, the women caught public transportation to the airport. Elsa expected someone in the jammed bus to give them seats, but they were stuck standing mashed in among men, women and children. A large number of them exited at the airport, and she and Dani let themselves be carried along with the crowd. She tried to keep from staring at the armed security, instead keeping her eyes on her escort. Elsa didn't know a word of the language, so if she lost sight of Dani, she would be in trouble. Later, she would have to call and apologize to Yahki that she skipped out and left him waiting at the curb. By now, agents probably swarmed around him, trying to determine why he was there. If he told them...

Dani caught the eyes of a wary looking man, and he slowly came forward. "Ravi."

"Hello, Danielle, Madame."

"Ravi, this is Julia. Julia, Ravi. He's our escort."

"It would draw attention to you if you ladies traveled alone, so I will be your companion." He handed Elsa a passport. She opened it, hiding it in the folds of her sari enough that it was visible to her only. Her name, for the duration of the trip, was Emily Morton. She snapped it closed and looked at Dani.

"You're the daughter of a State Department employee if anyone asks. The rest is up to you to fabricate."

Elsa's eyes widened. "You don't think things will..."

"You never know. Just be prepared."

Nodding, Elsa took her ticket from Ravi and gripped it with her passport. She knew from what Sam told her that no matter how well an operation was orchestrated and all the factors covered, in an instant things could change. She had to be ready. For her first mission, she hoped everything went according to plan. Until they reached the gate, she feared that Ravi was sending them into a trap. Even after the three were seated in a row in the middle of the large jet, she prayed that no one would question them or hold the airplane and drag them off.

It wasn't until the ground disappeared underneath the clouds that Elsa was able to let go of the armrests and sit back. Ravi, who sat to her right on the aisle, watched her with interest.

"Do you not like flying, Miss Emily?" He used her alias, the one on the passport, as he grinned in a poor attempt to put her at ease.

She lied. "Yes, I hate flying."

"Well, perhaps you should take something for that," he said and reached into his coat.

Elsa's eyes widened, afraid he was pulling out a gun. The security getting on the plane wasn't quite as good as she would have hoped. Instead, he rattled a small dark brown bottle.

"Um, no thanks. I'll be fine, really." Elsa smiled. She closed her eyes and lay back into the seat, listening to the foreign chatter around her, wondering if any of them were talking about her and Dani. It was going to be a long flight back to Miami.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Axe isn't going to give up anything to us," Rourke said to Keith on day four of their vigil. "The agency wants us to pack up and leave him alone. In a few days, they'll be moving him to DC, and Langley will take over at that point." Rourke poked his head into the room and eyed Sam for a moment. He pulled out with a sneer on his face. "He's gonna wish he just got it over with."

"He's got no incentive to tell us anything, because as far as he knows he loses his freedom no matter what," Keith said, keeping his voice down. He was frustrated with Rourke, the agency, and everything about this situation. "The agency screwed him over, not just Westen. They've been doing everything they can to ruin these peoples' lives, and for what? One man's desire for power." Keith crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"You really believe that Card was bad?"

Keith nodded. "I do. It sickens me, and it disgusts me how the agency is ruining of one of their own, no matter what he did."

"If you don't like it, you should get out."

"Before someone burns me," Keith asked with venom in his tone and his eyes. "I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I've been thinking about it."

"Duly noted." A sly smile played on Rourke's lips.

Turning away, Keith muttered, "Take your watch, I'll be back in a minute."

He hated leaving Rourke alone with Sam, but he needed to grab a bite to eat and make a report to his supervisor. In the cafeteria, he called Deputy Director Gilbert. "Gil, it's me, Keith Turner."

"Turner, how are things progressing in Brew Town?" Gilbert asked.

"They're not, Sir. I told you that Sam Axe would be a tough nut to crack, even if he's suffering. He won't give up anything, and what he does say points right back to what Westen has been insisting all along." Keith grabbed a fry off his plate and chewed.

"Glenanne has been giving us the same information. Frankly, I'm surprised at how easy Westen has been."

Keith sighed. "Maybe it's time we stopped trying to get what we think are the right answers and instead investigate what is the truth? We know Card was up to something. Have some of our agents look into it."

Gilbert chuckled. "Turner, we've already got that in hand. Card covered his tracks well, but we're revisiting a lot of evidence taken from Westen's loft after he tried to torch the place."

"Very interesting reading, I take it?"

"I'm blown away. It was quite a machine that Card had running if it's true, and if it was, I hope that Westen cut off the snake's head and the rest of it died. Otherwise, we could have an even bigger mess to deal with." Gilbert let out a breath that hissed over the line.

Keith asked, "So, if you have everything you need to clear these people, what about Sam Axe?"

"It's going to take time, so the plan is still the same. We get Axe to DC and find out what he knows. If he's a good boy, maybe we'll reunite him with Westen and Glenanne."

"And Jesse Porter. Don't forget him."

Keith could imagine Gilbert smiling. "Of course, Porter too. You really care about this guy, don't you."

"All I care about is the fact that these people have gone through a lot. They deserve a closure, and their freedom." Keith didn't want to admit that he was ecstatic about Sam seeing an end to his struggles, and he wanted it to be a good end. It would look like he was showing favoritism if he voiced his opinions, and that wasn't healthy for an agent.

"Freedom will be a long time coming yet. We have to check out everything first, and Axe will have to answer to shooting and killing our agent. So will Westen. No matter how justified their actions were." Gilbert paused. "Is there anything else?"

"No, I just wanted to let you know what's been happening here, which is nothing."

"Right."

"I better get back up there. I don't trust Rourke alone with Sam."

There was a hesitation on the other side of the line. "You think Rourke is up to something?"

"I don't know, Gil. He's been awfully jumpy about getting Sam to talk. He doesn't care that he was near death a few weeks ago and his progress is slow going."

The director let out a sound of displeasure. "Well, you better get up there then and keep our detainee safe."

Keith ended the call and grabbed the burger off his plate and finished it as he returned to Sam's room. He got off the elevator and saw a light flashing over Sam's door and medical personnel running toward it. Dropping the remnants of his meal into a wastebasket near the elevator door, Keith ran to the entrance.

Inside, he found a crush of staff with a crash cart. Sam lay flat on the bed and someone straddled him and compressed his chest. Someone else yelled, "Clear!" The nurse got off the bed and the doctor shocked Sam.

Keith watched, dumbstruck. In the corner, Rourke stood with arms crossed and a sick smile on his face. Turning to him, he grabbed the man's lapels and pushed him farther into the corner.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing." Rourke answered with a cold smile.

"You gave him something to try to make him talk, didn't you! Didn't you!" Keith slammed Rourke into the wall again. He raised a fist, wishing to slam it into that smirk and see Rourke bleed.

"You two are going to have to leave," a voice behind them spoke, and Keith detected a hand clamping around his arm.

Keith and Rourke wound up in the hall with a security guard. "You tell me what you gave him, or so help me..."

"I had my orders, Turner." Rourke said it so calm and cool, it made Keith's blood run cold.

"Orders? I just spoke with Gilbert and he said Sam was being taken to DC for questioning. There was no need for this!" It hit him like a shovel between the eyes. "You're working for someone else, aren't you."

Rourke didn't answer, but the look on his face told Keith all he needed to know. God, when does this end? How far up the chain does the corruption go? Horrified, Keith spoke to the security guard who stood by watching, not comprehending what was happening. "Rourke, you're finished. I'm taking you in for attempting to murder Sam…."

"Yeah, try and make that one stick."

"I will." He glanced at the security guard. "You're my witness on this."

"Y-yes, Sir." The guard stammered.

With Rourke distracted by shouting from Sam's room, Keith took his chance. He slammed Rourke against the wall and snapped a pair of cuffs on him. Despite Rourke's cries of protest, Keith searched his pockets and found a used syringe.

"Well, look at that," Keith crowed as he held it up for the guard and Rourke to see. "Looks like there's still something in it. All the better for the lab to test and link you to Sam going into cardiac arrest." Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted that cute nurse, Jamie. "Hey, how's Sam doing?"

"He's back with us," she answered with relief in her expression, and her eyes locked on the syringe. "What's that?"

"A little something my pal here slipped into Sam."

"I was just trying to get him to talk." Rourke ground out with his cheek still pressed against the wall.

"Jamie, do you have a zip bag I can put this into?"

"Sure. Hang on." She hurried to the nurses' station and came back with more than one bag. She handed them to him with a thin smile. "Just in case you find something else."

Keith already discovered a vial of a drug that the government had been experimenting with to wring confessions from uncooperative prisoners. "Things are not looking good for you, Griff. Not good at all." He dropped the evidence into a second bag. By now, two police officers appeared. When Keith finished searching Rourke's pockets and disarmed him, he turned him over to the police. "Hold onto him. The agency will be arranging his pickup soon."

Keith pulled out his phone and called Gilbert. "Gil, we've got a situation here. Roarke almost killed Sam with that new truth serum the government lab's been working on."

"Is Axe okay?"

"He will be, but this is going to set back his recovery time a little."

Gilbert sighed, his frustration in the exhalation. "Stay there, keep an eye on him, and I'm going to work on getting Axe out of that place and somewhere safe. It'll be just between you, me, and Raines where he goes."

"You got it, Sir."

After the excitement died down, Jamie allowed Keith to enter Sam's room. "He's been through a lot, so please, just let him rest."

"I will. I promise. Do you know what Rourke injected him with?"

"We sent a blood sample to the lab," Jamie replied. "They should be able to determine what it was."

Keith nodded and said, "Good. Once the lab finds out, it's very important that I get that information. I know you have your precious regulations, but if you want to help protect Sam and nail Rourke for what he did, I need to know."

"Okay. I'll make sure you get a report."

He felt relief that she trusted him at last. "Thank you." After Jamie left the room, Keith pulled the chair closer to the bed, sat, and crossed his legs. He kept his eye on a magazine, but now and then he looked up at Sam, who was pale and on oxygen again, this time with leads on his chest. Keith would have to stay, alone now, concerned that the agency still had dirty connections. What if, while playing by Deputy Director Gilbert's instructions, things would only get worse for Sam? And what about Raines, the head of the agency? Not knowing who to trust made Keith uneasy and set his nerves on edge.

* * *

Elsa was never so glad as she was when the airplane dropped out of the bright fluffy clouds and American soil lay ten thousand feet below. Yet something wasn't right. She saw the ocean, but given the number of times she'd flown around the country from Miami, she had an intimate knowledge of the Florida coastline, and that wasn't it.

"Dani, where are we?" Elsa whispered to her. "We're not landing in Miami."

"No, we're not. I'm sorry, I should have told you. We had to fly in to Washington first, because we can't waste any more time. I must report what I know directly to Raines."

"Who's he," Elsa asked, her sense of distrust growing. Maybe she made a mistake throwing caution to the wind in exchange for this woman's assistance.

"He's the head of the agency. I don't trust the Deputy Directors or anyone else. This has to go straight to him." Dani patted Elsa's arm that lay on the armrest between them. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine once we iron this out. Sam won't be completely out of the woods, but at least there'll be justification for what happened in Michigan."

"I still don't know the whole story," Elsa said, fishing for information.

"Unfortunately, that's the way it has to stay, unless you reunite with Sam and he tells you." Dani lowered her voice until it was almost non-existent. "If word of this got out, our country would have a major incident on its hands."

"I understand. I just want Sam back and that he will be free of the CIA or any other government agency trying to take him down." She fought against the rising emotion. "I need to see him, Dani."

"We'll work on that. Just be patient."

Be patient. Elsa released a breath and sat back in her seat. Taking things one at a time always worked for her, and so she resolved to fall back on that old tactic to keep stress at bay, but it wasn't easy. Step one, land and follow Dani to this Raines fellow. Then hope that he could release Sam without repercussions.

Before visiting the CIA building, Dani and Elsa made a stop for new clothes. Heads turned at the sight of them in their saris and no winter jackets. It was cold outside, but they soon found themselves dressed in conservative suits and warm coats. Elsa wore a royal blue power suit with matching pumps, and her designer coat screamed of wealth. The next stop was a mailbox rental store.

Elsa watched and shielded Dani as she unlocked a large storage box and pulled out file folders stuffed with papers. Dani tucked them into her new briefcase and the two left the establishment to hurry and catch a cab. The cab took them to the CIA headquarters. Elsa left her fake ID behind in Mumbai, and she wondered if she should have brought it along.

"Don't worry, Elsa. You're with me, and I'll get you into the agency without any hassles," Dani assured her as if she somehow knew what Elsa was thinking.

Indeed, the two soon found themselves in the office of Raines, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency. The secretary ushered them in and indicated for them to sit in the chairs before the empty desk.

"Mr. Raines will be with you shortly. Would you care for anything?"

Elsa would have loved to have a coffee, water, anything, but she was feeling less than trustful of the situation. Dani didn't accept anything either, which put her at a deeper level of unease. If the woman didn't trust her own boss, what were they doing there?

When Raines saw Dani, he smiled. "It's good to see you again, Agent Pearce. I want to apologize for the mess with you being reassigned to Mumbai. I honestly thought that Card was doing it for legitimate reasons." He came closer and held out his hand to Elsa, his bright smile aimed at her. "Hello, I'm Director Raines. I'm the man in charge here at the CIA, and I report to the President of the United States. You must be Elsa…."

"Yes, I am," she replied, trying to control the slight tremor in her voice. "Could we get on with this?"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to speak with Agent Pearce alone. This is a matter of national security, and there are too many leaks as it is," Raines said. The door opened and a woman appeared in the doorway. "Agent Lloyd will escort you around the town."

"Why? I want to get back to Miami for when Sam comes home." Elsa looked at Raines, incomprehension in her eyes.

Raines gave her a warm smile that belied his hard features. "Trust me, Elsa, you'll want to stay in town. Sam will be here in a couple of days. There was an incident that set him back a little, but the doctors believe that he can be transported soon."

"He... he's coming here?" Elsa gaped. "Why not Miami?"

"We want to keep him in a safe place for awhile and let him heal," Raines answered her.

She eyed him and said, "Please, don't lie to me, Mr. Raines. You have business with Sam, don't you? You're going to interrogate him and squeeze every last bit of life out of him to get what you want!" She towered over his chair, her fists balled. "I'm not stupid. That's the only reason Sam is alive right now, because if you didn't care what he knew, he would have died on that tarmac. Wouldn't he?"

"He didn't die because he's still a valuable asset to the agency. Not only because of what he knows, although that is a nice side benefit." Raines stood and tugged on his suit jacket and reached out to touch her elbow, but Elsa ripped it out of his light grip. "I'm sorry, ma'am." He turned to address the agent. "Lloyd, please take Elsa to the Willard, and if she wants to go shopping or to dinner, whatever, accompany her."

"Yes, Sir." Agent Lloyd, who would have been pretty if she didn't wear her blonde hair in a tight bun and hide her body under a loose fitting suit, gestured for Elsa to follow. "Come along, ma'am. I assure you that as soon as Mr. Axe is settled here in Washington, we'll let you see him."

"You better." Elsa glared at Raines, and her eyes slid to Pearce's. "Will I see you later?"

"Pearce will be busy," Raines cut in.

"I'll catch up to you. I promise." Pearce smiled, attempting to put Elsa at ease. "You have my number, you can always call if you need anything."

"Thank you. Just... just don't let them hide Sam away without allowing me to see him." She blinked, her eyes filling with tears. Elsa spun away and walked out of the office with the other agent.

"Now, let's get to the bottom of this," Raines said as the door closed on him and Pearce.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The flight was bumpy, and being transported in a prone position turned Sam's stomach. He wasn't sure how much more he could take, but he did his best. He'd been through so much, how much worse could a little turbulence be, or so he thought. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. If that were true, Sam should have been like Mr. Universe by now, but he felt as weak and miserable as a helpless child. Through slitted eyes he watched Keith in a seat across the aisle watching him turning green. He tried closing his eyes while holding an arm over his stomach, but that only seemed to make things worse.

"Hey, I think he's gonna be sick," Keith spoke in a soft voice to the nurse.

Then he heard the click of a seatbelt and sensed a presence nearby. Sam opened his eyes and found Jamie looking down at him with a smile as she asked, "Are you feeling queasy, Sam?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." She spoke over her shoulder. "Would you mind helping me here, Agent Turner?"

With their assistance, Sam was taken off the gurney anchored to the floor and set into a seat across the aisle, the one Keith vacated to help. He got out of the way so Jamie could rearrange his IV tubing and get him settled. Keith knelt on the seat in front of Sam's and peered over the back with his arms hugging it in resistance against the jostling.

"Wow, it's like night and day just getting you upright, isn't it, Sam." The plane jumped and shuddered. "This turbulence really sucks. We should be in DC soon, though." He glanced at his watch. "We're estimated for a fourteen hundred hour touch-down."

"Great. I can hardly wait," Sam replied in a sarcastic tone. He took a breath and swallowed, his stomach still unsettled but much improved.

Keith smiled at him. "Hey, just take it easy. You're gonna be fine. I mean, not too many people could survive serving as a pincushion for a few bullets, then being poisoned when you're already down. That takes a special person."

Sam gave him a face. "What, is this a new tactic, to BS me into talking?"

The smile wiped off Keith's face, replaced by a serious expression. "No, Sam. I know you don't believe this, but like I said before, I'm on your side. I read up on some of the more classified stuff concerning Westen and your team, and as more information is starting to come to light, I'm rooting for you guys even more."

"What do you mean, 'you guys'?" Sam's eyes locked on Keith's.

"I told you, your friends are all alive and they're being held in a secure facility for now."

Sam was not convinced. "If they were really alive, why bother holding them like they're prisoners if everyone is so sure of their innocence?"

Keith's lips formed a thin smile. "I never said they were innocent. You and your team did a lot of illegal stuff, and the government is trying to figure out what, if anything, anyone will be prosecuted for." He shrugged. "Frankly, I think in the end they'll just figure that it's not worth the trouble and send you all on your merry way."

Sam's voice gained strength as he spoke. "I want to see them. If Mike, Fi, and Jesse are really alive, when we touch down in DC, I want them to be wherever you're taking me."

Keith nodded. "I'll see what I can do." He rose and moved toward the front of the aircraft, where he ducked into an alcove to make a call. He returned to his seat just before the plane began its descent.

"Langley says no go, Sam. You're just gonna have to trust me on this for now." Keith's apologetic expression was genuine. "I'm sorry. I think if I were in your position I'd be thinking the same thing, that everything this agent says has to be taken with a grain of salt."

"Yeah, whatever." Sam turned toward the window and let the sun warm his face.

The grass in DC was brownish green and the trees were bare. He'd lost all track of time, so he had no idea how long it had been since he was shot. Was it spring, or still winter? Piles of ice-encrusted snow stood around the tarmac perimeter back in Wisconsin. It was nice of Keith to let him know where he'd been just before they jetted him off to DC. Sam was surprised that Keith had permission to tell him where he was going; if he didn't and revealed that information anyway, maybe it was a gesture, an attempt to convince Sam that he was indeed trustworthy.

After all the team had gone through, trusting the CIA and anyone in it was about as plausible as finding ice forming on the equator. It just wasn't happening, and if Keith could finally get that through his head, he'd expend a lot less effort trying to be a buddy and instead concentrate on his job.

When the plane landed, a black sedan with tinted windows parked at the hangar and the driver stood waiting for the passengers to disembark. For the trip, Sam was dressed in clothes that weren't his, but they were warm, so he couldn't complain. A thick wool coat was draped over his shoulders. Keith held onto him on one side, and Jamie grabbed Sam's IV and his other elbow. It was slow going getting down the stairs. He wasn't sure he could do it, but he managed. At the bottom, he stood still to muster the strength to walk to the car.

"Hang on, Sam." Keith spoke to Jamie. "He's not gonna make it to the car." He waved an arm, and the driver nodded, got in, and moved the car closer. The back door was only ten feet away. "Think you can handle that, Sam?"

"What if I say no," Sam asked, half teasing.

Keith laughed, a relaxed smile accompanying the sound. "I'll carry you, and it won't be fun for either of us."

Sam let out a breath. "Well, I guess I'll work it out." He took one step, then another, until the three arrived at the open door. When he was settled in the seat, Keith got in on the other side.

Jamie gave Keith the IV bag and said, "Well, you're on your own now, boys. Take care, Sam, and good luck." She tried to hide the tears as she waved at the car pulling away, and as it neared the gate, she got on the plane for the return trip.

"You guys sure have spent a ton of money making sure I survive and get into the hands of the agency. Why bother?" Sam had been looking out the window, but he turned toward Keith. "And I'm surprised you're letting me see where we're going. That's not standard CIA procedure for a prisoner, is it?"

"No, it's not."

Sam noted that Keith didn't deny that he was being held as a prisoner and not an asset with information that the agency wanted. So much for hoping that the new intel Keith obtained would change his status.

"I should have you blindfolded, but I'm not gonna do that. After the air sickness, I thought it might not be a good idea. That, and I'm trying to show you I'm not one of the bad guys." He sighed and shook his head. "It's frustrating, because I really hate the way this whole thing went down. You and your friends really got the shaft, the agency continues to treat you like dirt, and I'm sick of it. After this is cleared up, and you don't need my help anymore, I'm done. I can't stand the agency anymore."

Sam studied Keith with skepticism, but he appeared to be serious, and he couldn't help but think that maybe this man wasn't the adversary that Sam assumed he was. Still, Sam would bide his time and wait for him to prove himself as things unfolded. He expected to be taken to Langley, but he was set up in the Naval hospital in Bethesda. His days were filled with visits from a team of CIA operatives and a medical staff trying to get him back on his feet. Only at night did he find relief from the mental and physical pain of being under assault, either by questions or physical therapists.

For some reason, all of a sudden the interrogations stopped. Maybe they realized he wasn't going to break and it was a waste of their time. Perhaps the agency found enough evidence to back up the case against the team, and he was in limbo until the government decided to lock his sorry butt up in prison forever. It allowed him time to concentrate on getting better, but always in the back of his mind, he wondered what was happening.

"Hey, Sam."

Sam's head whipped around and he glanced over his shoulder at Keith. His brow rose. "I thought I was done seeing you."

"Well, as far as questioning, they're pretty much finished," Keith announced as he came around and sat in a chair opposite Sam. His eyes roved over the crutches leaning against the table. "Looks like you're getting around."

"They can't keep me down for long," Sam joked. "It hurts like hell, but I figure I better get myself in shape in case they throw me into some hole somewhere and I need more than my good looks and charm to get me out of trouble."

"Well, your sense of humor seems to be intact." Keith chuckled. "The reason I'm here is because…" He glanced over Sam's head, and a wide grin crossed his features as he nodded. "I brought a couple friends to see you."

Sam's eyes widened as he gasped. Deep down he knew he shouldn't have appeared so eager, but frankly, he was tired with putting up a front. "Who is it? Mike? Fi?" He followed Keith's gaze and twisted in his chair, even though it hurt his chest and mid-section. The breath in his lungs froze in the middle of exhaling. Her name came out in a cracking voice. "E-Elsa?" Emotion choked his throat, and he pushed himself out of his chair, turned around and tried to take a step.

"Sam!" Elsa rushed forward with Pearce, and the two women caught him before he fell to the linoleum floor.

He didn't care if Keith saw his breakdown. Streams of tears rolled down Sam's cheeks as he found his seat and clung to Elsa as if she were a life ring in the middle of a raging sea. He pulled her into his lap and she latched onto him. The two sobbed with joy to be together again. Neither of them noticed when Pearce inclined her head, indicating that Keith should get up and leave the two alone. He nodded, rose from the table, and left with Pearce.

"How did you get here," Sam asked when he finally regained control of his emotions. He reached for her hair and pulled it behind her ear so he could get a better look at her through his teary eyes.

"It's a long story. I've been in DC for almost two weeks, waiting to see you." She caressed his smooth jawline and laughed. "I'm not used to this. Turning over a new habit?"

"No, I just figured I better mind myself being in a Naval facility. Why? Do you like it?"

"If we were going to dinner at the Four Seasons, maybe," Elsa replied with a laugh. "But I can't wait until you can come back to Miami with me and get back to who you are."

Sam let out a deep sigh. "I don't know when, or if, that'll ever happen."

"According to Pearce, you could be out of here in a few days."

"Yeah, and right into a maximum security facility," Sam finished with a scowl.

"Oh, Sammy, you have no idea what's been going on, do you?" She hugged his head to her breast and kissed his hair before releasing him. "Pearce had a boatload of files exonerating you, Michael, Jesse, and Fiona, and she's been dying to show them to someone who could do something about this whole mess. In addition to that, they're finding codes and secret files that Card had, and the whole thing is unraveling." She sniffled, looked into Sam's eyes, and added, "That Raines guy, the head of the CIA, he's been amazing. He his sole aim is to get to the truth, and he knows enough now that you probably won't see any negative repercussions."

"I'm clear?"

Elsa nodded. "I believe so. Pearce can get you more up to speed on it than I can, because she can't discuss sensitive intel with a civilian around." She hugged him again and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm so relieved that this is almost over."

Sam swallowed, shoring himself up to ask the question. "Did they tell you that Mike, Fi, and Jesse are alive?"

"Yes, but they're in another facility for now. I'm really happy, but…" Her brow creased with worry. "I'm afraid for them too."

"Until I actually see them, I'm not so sure I can believe it's true." Sam repositioned his arms around her, pulling her lips down to his so he could kiss her again. "Right now, sweetheart, the only thing I can rely on is what I see."

"Pearce has assured me that you're going back to Miami in a couple days, and I know she's telling the truth," Elsa said, her voice full of excitement. "Sam, if you'd seen how she helped me in Mumbai…."

"You were in Mumbai?" He gaped. "Why?"

"I had to get Pearce." As she spoke, she tapped his chest with a finger. "I was told by someone to get her because she was, quote, 'our only hope.'"

"I said that?" He thought back and a vague memory of a text he sent that he wasn't sure was real came back to him. "Oh yeah, I did, didn't I? And I thought that was just something I dreamed." He smiled.

"No, it was definitely real, and I gained a new appreciation for what you and your friends do. I was scared half to death the entire time, and I couldn't have been there more than a few hours." She nuzzled into his neck and kissed him beneath his ear.

"Thank you," Sam whispered, overwhelmed with love and appreciation for the woman who proved just how much she loved him. He didn't ask for it, but she gave and risked her life freely for him. Pulling her away from his body so he could look her in the eye, he asked, "Elsa, baby, when we get back to Miami… will you marry me?"

"What? I thought you were, um, already… tied down."

The corner of Sam's mouth tipped up and he replied, "The way I figure it, after all the CIA put me through, the least they can do is help me find my ex and make it official. Don't you agree?" He nibbled at her earlobe, causing her to squirm and laugh as she pulled away.

"Well, if you can make that happen, I'll marry you as soon as it's over."

Sam noticed Pearce and Keith talking near the entrance to the day room. He caught her eye and motioned her over. She uncrossed her arms and with Keith behind her, she approached with a smile. "Did you two have a nice reunion?"

"Yes. When can I get out of here," Sam asked. "I want to get back to Miami, take care of some personal business, and then Elsa and I are getting married."

"You don't want to wait until Michael is free…."

The smile wiped off Sam's face and was replaced with a stormy look before Pearce could finish. He interrupted her, saying, "Unless you've got irrefutable proof, like Mike standing in front of me, I will never believe your lies about him being alive. I sure hope nobody went to Maddie and told her that. It'll kill her when she finds out it's not true."

Pearce looked as if Sam had slapped her across the face with a plank. "You think I would lie about something like that?"

"If it's true, why won't anybody let me see him?" His eyes dared her.

"Okay, fine. I'll see if I can arrange a linkup by computer." Pearce glanced at Keith. "I'll be back in a little while, and hopefully this is something we can set up today."

Keith stood with his weight on one hip, the other knee jiggling, and his thumbs hooked into his belt loops. "Well, uh, we were supposed to escort Elsa back to the hotel after her visit. I'll just hang out over there," he said, pointing to a couch in front of a television. The room was deserted with the exception of a few patients scattered about, which made his close proximity even more uncomfortable. "If there's anything you need, just let me know, Sam."

"Actually, there is," Sam piped up, stopping Keith in his tracks. Smiling at him, he said, "I want you to track down my wife and find out what I need to produce to dissolve our marriage." Sam gave him the details on what little he knew and remembered about her. Keith scribbled everything into a small notepad.

"This is probably outside the scope of what I had in mind, but I'm gonna do this, just for you. I'll let you know what I find out." He smiled and winked at the couple and left the room.

"He's not staying," Elsa said with awe.

"That's good news," Sam declared. "That means the heat really is off of me, and soon, very soon, we'll be able to live a normal life."

"Oh, Sam, you'll have to tell me what that's like, because ever since we've met, it's been nothing but weirdness!" She laughed and kissed him as if she hoped to wipe away the past with her love.

Sam was willing to let her try. He and Elsa went to his room where he could lay down and rest, and she scooted into bed beside him to hold him close and kiss him until he fell asleep. He was almost there when a knock interrupted their alone time.

"Dani," Elsa said.

Sam's eyes flew open and he locked on the dejected expression on Pearce's face. She wasn't happy. "What's wrong?"

Pearce let out a soft groan as he grabbed the back of her neck and massaged it. "I just spent an hour and a half wrestling, trying to get you an audio and visual hookup to Michael. I met and conquered one road block after another."

"And they shut you down," Sam finished. He snorted. "Figures."

"They did, but not because of the red tape involved." She exhaled, her hands pressed into her hips as she neared the bed and said, "He's gone."

"He's gone." Sam gave her an incredulous look.

"What I mean is, someone arrived at the facility this afternoon and took Michael." She neared the bed and spoke so no one outside the room could hear. "And another team broke into the facility where Fiona was being kept." She blinked away tears. "I'm sorry, Sam. They've both been kidnapped."

"Wh-what about Jesse?" He waited for her to come up with another lame excuse.

"He's safe. A team tried to extract him but they were stopped. Jesse's being taken to the airport as we speak, and so you have to leave now. You're going with him, and Agent Turner and I will be accompanying you. And Elsa, if you choose to come along."

"Of course! I wouldn't dream of leaving Sam alone again." She held onto him, paying no heed to the fact that she still lay with him in the bed, fully clothed, but in an intimate situation.

Sam protested, "Elsa, honey, you've got the hotel to worry about…."

She halted him with her fingers pressed to his lips. "I've been away long enough to know that my staff can take care of things while I'm gone. You're worth much more to me, Sam." Her eyes bored into his as she said, "I'm not losing you again."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Only the pilot and Agent Pearce knew where they were going. On the one hand, Sam trusted her to get them somewhere safe. On the other, he worried that she was part of some plan to reunite him and Jesse with Mike and Fi wherever they were being held. As Sam snuggled with Elsa under a blanket and couldn't sleep while the craft flew through the night, Elsa told him in detail about her trip to Mumbai and how Pearce took care of her. She could have given up Elsa at any time, but she didn't. Sam was beginning to feel ashamed of his lack of trust.

Across the aisle and back one row, Keith snored. Pearce sat two rows ahead of them all with Jesse. Now and then the two talked in hushed tones, and Sam heard the soft flipping of paper. A reading lamp shone on her from above. He knew when they were closing in on their destination; she rustled a bunch of papers and tapped them against the tray table. The papers whispered as she deposited the stack into her briefcase. Two snaps, and the case was closed. She cleared her throat and fabric rubbed against fabric as she moved in her seat.

The seatbelt sign turned on, and the pilot announced, "Approaching our destination. Please prepare for landing."

Sam and Elsa hadn't removed their seatbelts or used the tray tables, so they had nothing to do to prepare for the landing. The lights dimmed allowing Sam the opportunity to look out the window try to determine where they were. He was more than a little surprised to see few lights twinkling below, and a small concentration to the right disappeared not long after he saw it. The bump and shudder of the landing gear locking told him that they were almost on the ground.

"Where are we," Elsa asked.

"I don't know. I'm hoping it's someplace warm." He pulled on the corner of the blanket and set it on his shoulder.

"Me too. But if not, well, we've got each other." She chuckled low, her hand slipping behind his neck to bring his lips to meet hers in the little bit of space between them. When she parted from him, she licked her lips and said, "I'm feeling warmer already."

His laughter brought a sexy smile to her face and fire to her eyes. "Later," he promised on a breath against her cheek before he kissed it.

The wheels hit the pavement and jarred them, but neither one was fazed by the action. Sam took her hand and held it under the blanket until the aircraft came to a stop.

Jesse stood in the aisle and asked, "Sam, are you okay with walking off this plane?"

"Sure, why not? I got on."

"Okay, if you need any help, just let someone know."

Pearce seemed nervous, but Sam tried his best to not be suspicious. It most likely had more to do with the secrecy and keeping Sam and Jesse under wraps, and not that she had something underhanded in mind. At least, that's what he hoped.

A dark SUV waited for them outside, again bringing back memories of when he was shot, only this time the surroundings were shrouded in darkness. He moved fast on the crutches with Elsa by his side. Pearce and Keith flanked them, and Jesse led the way. He got into bench seat in the back, Elsa took the middle seat, and Sam packed himself into the room that remained. Pearce got into the front passenger seat, and Keith took the keys from the driver who brought the SUV. He drove them away from the airport.

"It looks like they're taking us out into the woods," Elsa whispered into Sam's ear.

"It does." Sam agreed. "We must be on the west coast somewhere, considering how long the flight was. Or down south, but that would be too obvious to anyone looking for us."

Keith turned onto an uneven road. Gravel crunched under the tires that bounced them over the unpaved road. Elsa crashed into Sam and he put his arms around her. He smiled in the dark. Keith could keep it up for a little while as far as Sam was concerned. Elsa felt so good clinging to him. Hopefully they could go to bed soon, because he was getting weary and having her beside him made curling up in a nice warm bed so attractive.

The SUV spun in a wide arc and stopped. Pearce got out, opened his door, and in the glare from the dome light he saw her offering him assistance. His leg was a little stiff from traveling, so he grasped her hand and exited the vehicle.

"Thanks." He got himself on solid ground before turning to accept the crutches from Elsa. Side by side, they followed Pearce, Jesse, and Keith.

"Whose place is this," Jesse asked.

"It's a friend's vacation home," Pearce replied. "He's letting me use it as a safe house."

The three carried luggage up a short set of steps that led to a large house surrounded by bare tree limbs. The half moon lit up the trees and transferred the shadows onto the ample sloping roof. It was a two-story wood frame house with a long porch, but it was too dark to see much else. Pearce unlocked the door by touch and let them inside, but it wasn't until she and Jesse drew the curtains that she turned on a lamp in the living room.

To the right, a long couch and two love seats formed a u-shape in front of a large stone fireplace. A coffee table sat in the center. To the left stood a large oval table with six chairs, a buffet, and three matching stools parked at a breakfast bar that separated the dining area from the kitchen.

"There's one bedroom downstairs," Pearce announced. "Sam, you should take that one. There are three bedrooms upstairs."

"There are five of us, but either Dani or I will be watching over you guys at any given time," Keith added.

"It's alright. We've got things worked out," Elsa said. "Now, whose cases are whose?"

"The agency packed enough clothing and things for everyone," Pearce said. "Your name is on the tag." She found hers, picked it up, and headed for the stairs. "Keith, do you want first watch?"

"Sure, why not." He hefted his case and held it out toward her. "If you take this upstairs and put it in one of the rooms."

"No problem."

Jesse found his case, grabbed it, and followed Pearce. "Hey, 'night Sam, Elsa." He smiled wide. "Looking forward to hanging with you tomorrow, Sam. I never thought I'd see you again."

Sam wore a soft, warm smile for his friend. "You too, Jess. 'Night."

"Okay, these are ours," Elsa said as she picked up the last two cases. "Let's get settled in."

Keith made sure the thick curtains were drawn shut tight in their room before retreating and wishing them a good night. "See you tomorrow, Sam, Elsa." He gave them an amused leer before closing the door.

To Sam's surprise, Elsa began to cry. He set the crutches against the wall and turned her into his arms. He shushed her with a soft breath in her ear. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't think… didn't think that I would have this ever again," she replied and pressed into his chest, his shirt absorbing her tears. "And I feel... feel like a wimp for crying over all I went through, when you and your friends have... have dealt with stuff like this for years."

"Hey, it's okay. Before you know it, this'll all be over and we'll go home and start a new life together." He held Elsa's face in his hands and planted light kisses on her forehead, down to the tears beneath her eyes, moving at a slow pace to her lips. He whispered, "Don't think about anything tonight but us being back together."

She nodded, found his lips, and kissed him until he grew shaky on his legs. She grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him down to the bed, and rolling so she lay atop him. Smiling, she said, "Promise me that you'll tell me if I do something that hurts, won't you?"

"Oh yeah, I promise, baby." He pulled her down to press her against his body, and it pained him, but he enjoyed the closeness of her too much to protest.

Elsa was right. He was just as afraid as she was that he would never have this again. Maybe later, after they lay curled up in each other's arms, he would think that it had been a dream. When it happened and she pressed her backside into him and he wrapped his arms around her, letting her fall asleep with her head on his arm, Sam stayed awake longer than he should have. In the glow from a dim nightlight plugged into an outlet, he studied Elsa, heard her even breathing, and marveled. His nerves tingled with the sensation of her skin against his. If he buried his nose in her hair, it smelled like a rose garden, a scent that would never be half as lovely if it wasn't wrapped around her. Yet he was afraid that if he closed his eyes she would disappear, so it was well after midnight before he fell asleep from exhaustion.

A thump woke Sam a few hours later. His senses on alert in a heartbeat, he propped himself up on a hand and listened, but it was all quiet. Too quiet for his taste. Sam twisted around until he sat on the edge of the bed, taking a few breaths before standing. Everything seemed to hurt. He bent down to reach for his pants and a sharp pain in his abdomen caused him to suck in his breath. He held it, straightening until it passed, and resumed the search for his clothing in the dark.

Still concerned about the sound followed by nothing, Sam limped out of the bedroom without using his crutches. A single lamp in the living room glowed, but there was no one in the room. He glanced around with concern. Who was on watch? He heard the soft thud of footsteps descending the stairs, and he whirled to face Pearce. She wore jeans and a sweater, looking concerned that he was out of bed.

"Is everything okay, Sam?" She spoke soft.

"Who's on watch?"

She surveyed the room and noted that they were the only two in it. "Keith was on, but..."

"He's not here." Sam bit back a curse. "I should have known there was something up with him. I didn't trust him..."

"You didn't trust me, either." Her eyes locked on his. "I knew that. Look, I'm sorry that things didn't work out all that well with that Menaro fiasco, but I'm behind you and Michael, the whole team, and I would never do anything to contribute to what's been happening." She paused, shaking her head and staring up at the ceiling. With a sigh she continued. "I don't really know how to make you believe me."

"It's been hard knowing who to trust lately. I'm sorry," Sam said, feeling chastised for insulting the one who orchestrated their run for safety. "How did you have so much information to blow this thing wide open, and why didn't you go to Raines a long time ago?"

"I should have, but I was being watched as closely as you were. I had to throw them off and make them think I knew nothing."

"It didn't work, did it? Card sent you to Mumbai because he knew you were dangerous with what you had on him." Weariness overtaking him, Sam moved to sit on the couch. He discovered a lump on it when he sat, and he shot up to his feet.

"Hey, man!" Keith exclaimed as he pushed a blanket off and sat up, running a hand through his hair. "What, you don't trust me so you're gonna try to snuff me out by sitting on me?"

"Sorry," Sam muttered, then his eyes grew wide. "Hey, you were listening to us?"

"You betcha," Keith replied with a smirk as he stood. He wrapped the blanket around himself. "I was getting a little cold, so I found a blanket in the closet, wrapped up, and thought I'd just park myself on the couch until it was Dani's turn to take watch."

"So that was the thump I heard?"

Keith nodded. "There was a lantern on the shelf and it almost beaned me when I pulled the blanket off. It was all I could do to keep from swearing a blue streak and waking everybody." He yawned. "Well, anyway, now that I know I'm not trustworthy and unwanted, I'll just crawl off to bed. Have a nice night."

"I'm sorry," Sam said.

"No, it's okay." Keith looked into Sam's eyes as he spoke. "If I were in your shoes I'd be wary too. All I can do is my job, and you'll see the proof." He stepped around Sam and patted his shoulder. "Night, Sam. See you tomorrow."

"Night, Keith." He could have kicked himself for revealing his doubts. He'd have to work harder on keeping such things to himself.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Keith rattled a knife in the jar after he scraped the sides clean. "That's the last of the peanut butter."

"You'll live," Jesse said with a teasing tone as he took the last slice of cheese to finish off his sandwich.

"We need more supplies," Keith said as he added peanut butter to a growing list tacked to the side of the refrigerator. "It's been a week and we haven't heard a thing from Langley. I'm starting to get more than a little worried."

"You and Dani said that Raines was cool. Changed your mind?"

Keith crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. "Jesse, the agency has gone so crazy behind the scenes, it's like a rogue dog, man. You don't know what it's gonna do."

"Hey guys," Sam greeted them as he entered the kitchen. His eyes locked on Keith's sandwich sitting on the counter. "Oh, PB and J. You make that for me, buddy?" He grinned and laughed at Keith's stare and the speed at which he snapped it up and took a bite. "Guess not."

Keith stepped out of the way, making room for Sam to peer into the fridge. "It's getting empty in there." He came out with a container of yogurt and a plastic baggie half filled with cut vegetables. "Man, I tell ya, living with women can sometimes be really depressing. No snacks. No donuts, no junk food whatsoever."

"We're just trying to keep you healthy honey, because we, I mean, I, love you." Elsa caught his comment and smiled, and she hugged him from behind on her way to the fridge.

"This kitchen was not made for five people," Dani remarked as she stood in the doorway.

"Tell your friend he needs to add on to the kitchen," Sam cracked. He slipped out to the living area and sat in one of the stools, setting his impromptu lunch on the counter to settle in and eat.

"I'm willing to go to town and get us some more groceries," Keith volunteered.

After a week of hanging out with him, Sam was inclined to let Keith go alone, but he was getting stir crazy cooped up in the house in the woods. "I'll go with you."

"Sam, you're still not in any condition..."

"I'm fine, Keith." He was touched by the man's concern. His mouth twitched into a smile, and he said, "I need the exercise. I'm pretty good without the crutches now, so a little walking in town will be good for me."

Keith's eyes were looking him up and down, and Sam could tell that he wasn't so sure. Elsa spied the power play unfolding, and by the look in her eyes, Sam knew what was coming.

"Oh let him go, Keith. Either that or he'll whine about not being able to get out." She turned a sweet smile on Sam, approaching him with open arms and taking him into her embrace. She kissed him and said, "While you're out, pick up a few things for me, will you?"

"I see how this works," Keith said with a laugh. "Sam, are you sure you wanna spend the rest of your life with her? She'll have tons of honey-do lists for you after you go back to your normal life."

"Normal? What's that?" Pearce asked and laid claim to the last yogurt. "You guys are going into town? Hey, pick up some ammo. We don't have enough if we get a serious assault." She handed Sam a list she pulled from her pocket.

Sam's eyebrow rose. "Expecting a whole army, Pearce?"

She planted a hand on her hip and gave him one of her cold grins that told him she meant business. "No, but I'd rather be prepared."

"Okay. You got some cash for this?"

"Don't worry. I came prepared," Elsa disappeared for a few minutes, running upstairs. When she returned, she handed Sam a folded stack of cash. "I took out quite a bit before we left DC. Your friend Barry helped me cover my tracks, so if anyone was looking for a large withdrawal, it'll take them weeks to discover it."

Sam chuckled and squeezed her around the waist. "That's my girl." He kissed her cheek before releasing her.

"These two ladies are like a couple of girl scouts, always prepared." Jesse waited for a look from Dani, and he was not disappointed.

With all the tension from being in hiding, everyone was letting off steam by teasing and joking with each other. Better than arguing or backbiting any day. Sam had been in situations like that before, and he'd much rather be with a group that wasn't afraid to throw a few good-natured barbs now and then when everyone understood the intent.

Sam slid off the stool and tucked the cash into his pants pocket. "We'll be back in a little while. If we don't come back in an hour, either something's happened to us, or we found a really good bar in town."

"Sam!" Elsa gave him a look of admonition. "No distractions. Seriously, just get what you need and come back."

"We better get moving, Sam, before she kicks your butt." Keith gestured for him to follow as he walked toward the door. He watched Sam's movements as he approached it, and only a slight limp gave away that anything had happened to him. Shaking his head, Keith led the way outside. "I can't believe how fast you're healing, man. Must be this mountain air or something."

"Where are we exactly? Do you know?" Sam got in the passenger side of the dark green, plain SUV. In the daylight it didn't look like much. It rusted in spots and had some scrapes that Sam thought might have come from a run-in with a deer. The sizable dent in the right front fender was a giveaway.

"Somewhere in Oregon, away from Portland, close enough to run to California if necessary."

"Like that'll make any difference. I was hoping you'd say Canada," Sam said, securing his seatbelt and looking out the front windshield at all the trees. It had been awhile since he'd seen so many in one place, and none were palms. He missed that, so the idea of running to Canada didn't appeal to him very much.

"Canada wouldn't be very helpful, I'm afraid." Keith sensed Sam's eyes on him, and he explained. "If the agency is still against you guys, running to the great white north won't work. They'll be happy enough to send you back."

"Why do I have a feeling that there's something you're not telling me?" Sam glared at him.

"Trust me when I say you're better off not knowing. All that matters is that I'm here to help Pearce keep you safe. I will defend your life with mine if necessary. Whether you believe that or not, I don't care. I know what my part in this mission is, and that's to keep you, Elsa, and Jesse safe and away from the people who have Mike and Fi. So, are we groovy?"

"Groovy?"

"Yeah. Never mind." Keith fell into silence and Sam watched the road they were on, seeking landmarks and other points that would help if he needed to get back to the base in a hurry. With his leg being the way it was, he still wasn't good enough to run. But if he ignored any pain coming from his torso, he could throw some mean punches and disable someone enough to get away.

Keith parked in the grocery store lot and grabbed the cart inside the store. Sam carried the list, and between the two of them they made quick time picking out what they needed for another week.

"We still have plenty of cash to get the ammo Pearce wanted," Sam declared as he and Keith deposited the paper bags in the back of the SUV. "I saw a gun shop as we were coming into town."

"Yeah, I saw that too. I figured we could take care of that on the way back."

"We go in together?"

"Sure, why not?" Keith looked at Sam strangely. "Are you ever going to trust me?"

"I'm sorry, Keith. I must be getting paranoid. You and Pearce have hung out with us long enough, I know I should just get over it." He looked out the window at the passing storefronts. "Knowing that Mike and Fi are still missing…."

"Ah hah, so we're making progress," Keith exclaimed and gave Sam a little victory smile. "You at least believe that they're alive."

"Yes. I just wish the CIA would find them and get this whole thing resolved. I don't see that happening any time soon, though. Not if there are still dirty agents working within the system."

"You've got good instincts, Sam. I'm feeling pretty uneasy too about the fact that nobody at the CIA has tried to contact us."

"Keep your eyes peeled for a pay phone and we'll give them a jingle," Sam advised.

Not only did Keith and Sam buy the ammunition that Pearce requested, they found a pay phone alongside a mini mart next door. After loading up the cache, Keith and Sam slipped next door to use the phone.

Keith pushed the number he knew by heart. "I'm calling my old handler. He's a guy I know I can trust to give it to me straight. Hey, Bill, it's Keith." He held the phone so Sam could hear the conversation.

"Keith, man, where are you?"

"I can't tell you, Bill. Just know that I'm safe with my packages." Keith glanced at Sam, watching him listening with an intent look on his face. "We haven't heard a thing lately, and I was just checking in to see what's up. Any news about Westen?"

"He's still missing, and so is his girlfriend, Glenanne. No demands for ransom, so we're thinking it might have to do with revenge. Westen's messed with a lot of people, people who deserved it, but they sure aren't going to see it that way." Bill took a breath. "I can't talk long. Just know that Raines is backing you guys. I've got an idea who in my corner of the agency is a source of trouble. I just don't have enough on them yet."

"Don't get yourself killed flushing them out," Keith admonished. "We can hang around here for awhile. My friends are just worried about Westen and Glenanne."

"We're doing the best we can, Keith. I have to go. Good luck, and I'll try to keep in touch."

"Thanks, Bill."

"Well, that got us nowhere," Sam grumbled and turned from the phone. He entered the mini mart, and Keith followed close behind.

"Things must be pretty bad at the agency, but Raines is still in charge, and if anyone can clean house, it's him. It'll just take some time, that's all." Glancing at Sam, he said, "As long as your girlfriend can keep us funded, we should be okay here."

"Don't worry, Elsa will take care of us." Sam reached for the handle on an upright cooler, yanked it open and plucked a six-pack of bottled beer from the shelf.

"You've got good taste, Sam. You should probably get at least two of those if you intend to share with everybody."

Sam grabbed another six-pack and handed them to Keith. "Here, take 'em." He grabbed two more and led the way to the counter. Passing the snacks, he pressed one pack under his arm and reached out to snag a couple bags. He set everything on the counter, turned to Keith, and held up a finger in warning as he said, "If you breathe a word about these to Elsa…." He pointed to the bags.

"You won't hear a peep out of me. I just want to know how you're planning on smuggling them in and eating them later." Keith snickered.

"I'll figure that out. Even if we have to do a middle of the night snack fest, it'll be worth it. I just have to be careful, because I swear that woman can smell a jelly donut from a mile away. Never mind nacho chips!"

"Between your girlfriend and working with Westen, you lead an interesting life, Sam." Keith declared as he and Sam took their purchases to the vehicle.

Before Sam could reply, a woman slipped past him through the door and hurried inside the mini mart. He almost cleared the doorway when a large man pushed him into the frame as he barreled past. Sam stared at him, but watched with concern as the man cut down an aisle and grabbed the woman by the arm and almost pulled it out of its socket.

"You don't ever, I mean ever, leave when I'm talkin' to you!"

The woman looked scared, but she stood in place and tried to pull out of his grip. It tightened, and she cried out, her face registering her pain.

"Sam, come on," Keith muttered. "We can't afford to get involved."

Sam glanced at Keith and noted that his hands were empty. "Here, take this stuff." He gave Keith the beer and the bag of snacks before turning around and entering the store.

"Sam, what are you…." Without thinking, he set the beer and the snacks on the floor near the door and followed Sam to the aisle.

Sam couldn't believe that the mini mart clerk just stood behind the counter and did nothing. Sam wasn't just risking getting pummeled by the big guy; there could be other issues if he wound up getting arrested. With two against one, hopefully there would be no trouble. By the time Keith stopped in the aisle, Sam was almost nose to nose with the guy.

"Yeah, you've got no problem smacking around a woman who's half your body weight, but you get up against someone your own size and you're not so brave are ya?"

"Get outta my face," the angry man spat. "Let me deal with my wife my own way."

Sam's voice was not at an inside volume. "You need to learn to treat your wife with a little respect, pal."

The guy pushed Sam into Keith who caught him, but Sam was out of his hands in an instant pushing back. A fist flew, missing Sam, who ducked.

"Hey, you guys knock it off or I'm calling the cops," the young guy behind the counter warned with a shaking voice.

His words were ineffective, and Keith moved forward as the fight intensified. Sam had the upper hand, despite his injuries and his age. The other guy was at least fifteen years younger than Sam, but he was out of shape and only looked tough with his rough features and facial hair. The guy's back slammed against the glass cooler, shaking all the doors on the wall. Sam had him pinned, and for the first time, they saw fear in the abuser's eyes, his bravado failing.

"Sam. Come on, let's get out of here before the cops come."

"I haven't finished talking to my friend yet," Sam ground out through tight lips while he pinned the man as if he was a moth in a display. "I'm trying to teach him a lesson."

"I think he's got the picture, don't ya, big guy?"

He sneered. "If I see you two again… I've got a Smith & Wesson with your names on it."

Sam laughed. "We've got a bit more firepower than that, Chuckles, so I'd advise you to just take a lesson from this. Stop beating your wife and intimidating defenseless people." He pushed the man against the glass and stepped back, his body in defense mode ready to act if necessary. The man shifted and straightened his jacket, his eyes like daggers stabbing into Sam's, but he didn't respond. Without another word, Sam passed the defeated brute and took the next aisle over to leave. The man's wife stood near the door with a package of diapers and a can of formula.

Seeing the look of fear on her face, Sam approached her and spoke in a soft, soothing voice. "Is there some place you can go to get away from him? He's not going to stop hurting you just because I humiliated him."

"You probably made it worse, Mister. I don't have anywhere to go. Without Jimmy, I'm out on the streets with my baby." She blinked, her eyes filling with tears.

"Where's your baby right now," Sam asked, and he followed her eyes as they slid toward the window. An old red pickup truck sat in the parking lot, and Sam could see a baby seat in the middle of the bench seat. Little arms swung in the air, confirming that there was indeed a baby in the truck.

"Look out," the woman screamed, and Keith turned as the big man took a leap at Sam. He put out a foot and caused him to stumble and crash to the floor.

"Sam…." Keith warned again. "We can't… it's too risky."

"And you call yourself an agent," Sam replied under his breath. He reached behind his back and pulled out a pair of cuffs. "Make yourself useful, Keith, and put these on him." To the woman, he said, "Go ahead and make your purchases. After that, we're getting you out of here and you can stay with us for a little while until we can scare up some resources that will help you."

By the time the woman finished paying for the things for the baby, a sheriff's deputy pulled into the parking lot. The deputy entered the store and looked at the kid behind the counter. "Did you call?"

"Yeah. These two guys helped this lady. He was gonna beat her up," the kid reported.

The two gave their side of the story, and it became apparent to Sam that this wasn't the first time the guy had been in trouble with the law for his temper. With assurances that the man's wife would be taken care of, he and Keith got into the SUV and left the parking lot. Keith took a roundabout way back to the property, in case anyone decided to tail them.

"Did you see that," Keith boasted as he pulled into the drive and parked in front of the house. "And you questioned my skills as an agent."

"No I didn't."

"I distinctly heard you say 'And you call yourself an agent.'" Keith wore a smug expression, certain he'd caught Sam.

"No, I was saying that in reference to your hesitancy in helping a woman in trouble." He let out a breath. "Just forget I said anything, okay? It was in the heat of the moment, I didn't really mean it."

"Sure you did. You're questioning my fitness as an agent… and you have every right to."

"What do you mean by that?" Sam asked, but Keith was already out of the SUV, picking up bags and taking them to the house.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Sam grabbed the ammunition boxes and brought them into the house. Keith brushed by without a word and took the last of the bags, hooking them with one hand while using the other to slam the hatch back with a solid thud. He was mad, and with good reason. Sam pushed him one too many times. In his frustration and tired of being on the edge of trust at all times, Sam lost sight of what he knew about Keith. He'd always been an honorable man, and now Sam knew that time and circumstances hadn't changed that.

He let Keith stew awhile before approaching him on the deck that faced a deep slope dotted with evergreens and the carcasses of trees that had fallen years ago. The agent sat at a wooden hexagonal table, leaning back in his chair, his ankles crossed and resting on the surface. A cigarette dangled from his fingers, the smoke trailing straight up to the sky.

"Hey, Keith." Sam stopped just inside his peripheral vision, placed his hands on his hips, and stared at the scenery. A mountain peeked up from the treetops. "It's gorgeous out here. If it weren't so boring, I wouldn't mind living out in the woods like this."

"Yeah." Keith glanced up. "What do you want, Axe?" He took a puff of his cigarette.

Sam pursed his lips before speaking, because they were back to last names again and he knew he had to repair the damage he'd done. "Just came out for some fresh air."

Keith pulled his feet off the table and leaned toward the ash tray, stubbing out his cigarette. The way he did it, the action reminded Sam of Maddie when she was peeved.

"I didn't know you smoked."

Keith responded, "Just a nasty habit I picked up way back when." A rueful expression passed over his features. "I'm trying to cut back anyway, and this assignment was a good excuse to start." He picked up another from the pack and lit it. He resumed his laid back position and asked, "Is there a reason you're out here besides the fresh air?" A cloud of smoke punctuated his words.

"I wanted to talk to you. First of all, to say I'm sorry. I've been a real jerk questioning your integrity."

Letting out another smoky breath, Keith stared at the scenery, not saying anything. Sam wasn't sure if he was thinking about accepting his apology or coming up with a salvo in defense.

"Mind if I sit?"

"There are plenty of chairs," Keith replied. "Knock yourself out." He took a drag on the cigarette while he kept an eye on Sam.

Sam seated himself across from Keith and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table "I could justify myself all day, but the fact is, it's no excuse. You've done nothing but be concerned about me from the first day I woke up in that hospital bed. That partner of yours, Rich...Rob..."

"Rourke," Keith helped him with a small uptick of the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah, that guy. Anyway, he's the guy I should be distrustful of, considering he almost killed me." He thought for a moment and asked, "Do you think he did it on purpose, or was it an accident because of a mix of drugs?"

"I don't know. He and I were partners only a couple months before all this happened. We weren't gelling, and I didn't trust him either, so I guess we've got something in common." Keith flicked ash into the ashtray and regarded the end of his cigarette, noting how short it had gotten in so little time. "The guy is a psycho, I swear, and I feel like I wasn't doing my job by keeping him around you."

"You were stuck with him..."

"No, Sam." Keith's eyes locked onto Sam's. "I could have requested that he do some other investigating. But I didn't, and I'm sorry for that. I put you in danger."

"It's okay, we're all good now. Right?" Sam's brow furrowed, again questioning his loyalty, but Keith didn't react.

"Yeah, we're good. I just hope this plan works. Trouble is, we can't hide here forever." Keith sighed and surveyed the area, no doubt looking for ways that someone could ambush them.

"We're in a good place. It would be difficult for someone to invade from down there," Sam said and indicated the slope with the tilt of his head. "Coming from the road would be too high profile."

"Yeah." He swallowed and turned back to Sam. "I can't be sure, but I think Rourke was part of whatever faction in the agency is still messing around with things. I don't know if he meant to kill you or not. I don't think it really mattered in the end, as far as he was concerned."

Sam nodded. He knew guys like that, and they were always dangerous, usually involved with something illegal or devastating, like attempting to take over a nation's intelligence gathering system. "You think they have Mike and Fi?"

"Probably. They could be anywhere in the world by now. The CIA has too many secret facilities that are so perfect for stowing prisoners. I'm not sure why they want to keep Westen alive, though."

"Keith, I..." Sam looked up at him. "As soon as I'm back up to full strength, I'm going to look for him, them, both Mike and Fi."

Gaping, Keith dropped his feet off the table and turned to face him. "Sam, you're nuts. Didn't getting shot up and almost losing your life teach you anything? You don't mess with these people!" He tapped the table with his middle finger in emphasis.

A small, tender smile crossed Sam's lips. "So you still care. Thanks, pal."

Scowling, Keith answered with a tense tone, "You bet I care. You're not just a job, you're my friend. If you're going out there looking, I'm going with you. Pearce will probably want to come."

"And Jesse. You know I was planning on asking him if he wanted to do this with me." As he thought about the ramifications of such an undertaking, he realized that he would have to again give up the woman he loved and leave her behind for awhile. His gaze moved to the French doors. Through them, he saw Elsa and Pearce working in the kitchen, putting away the groceries. "There'll be no one left to protect Elsa. You and I know she can't just go back to Miami and act like nothing happened. These people know she's involved, and to gain leverage on me, they might..." He choked and couldn't finish, the pictures in his mind too horrifying to give a voice.

Keith understood. Sam could see it in his eyes. "I'd say you two should stick around here, but I know you won't." He put out the cigarette stub, crushing it into the small pile of ash. "Maybe you and I should train Elsa to work as an operative. She seems like a smart woman, I bet she could pick it up..."

"No. I am not letting Elsa risk her life, and besides, I've already trained her enough to get her this far. We'd have to get more advanced, and it would take too long to train her for a mission." Sam's eyes met his with a coolness in them. "How would you feel if I suggested you teach your girlfriend how to fight with us?"

Letting out a huff of laughter, Keith replied, "Last girlfriend I had could have kicked both our butts. She was something else."

"What happened? Too incompatible?" Sam joked.

"I went on a mission, she went on a mission, and when we finally got back together, it just wasn't the same." He looked uncomfortable as he let his gaze wander over the landscape.

"Missions get in the way of romance a lot, don't they." Sam thought about all the rich women he could have had if he hadn't been spending so much time helping Michael. Elsa was different. She wasn't just a bank account and a good roll in the hay. "Thank God Elsa loves me, and I love her, or she would be back in Miami cozying up to somebody else by now."

Keith smiled, a hint of jealousy flashing in his eyes. "Even more reason for you to stay here with her. I can tell she's crazy about you, man." Sam was about to say something, but he held his hand up to stop him. "Uh uh, just listen a second. Right now, we don't even have a clue as to where Westen and Glenanne are. We'd have to figure out who in the agency is on the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak, and somehow infiltrate them."

"Hey, what about your girlfriend?"

"Ex-girlfriend." Keith made a face expressing how he felt about the idea of including her. "She's in the wrong agency, not to mention the wrong government. She's FSB."

Shock registered on Sam's face for a moment before turning to amusement, a chuckle bursting out of him. "Oh, Keith, you always did know how to pick 'em." When he settled down, Sam turned serious. "You know, having an FSB connection could be good. It all depends on who might be the most interested in picking up Michael Westen as a trophy."

"You think that's what this is about?"

"Why not? With Mikey being at the lowest point in his career, not to mention his life, he's vulnerable and perfect for someone to snatch up and sell to the highest bidder. What bad guy wouldn't want to pay for the chance to be the one to say that he killed Michael Westen?"

"Sam, you just gave me an idea," Keith blurted as he jumped out of his chair and retreated to the house.

"I did? Hey, what is it? You're not leaving me out of this!" He rose, hurrying to the back door and throwing it wide open as he entered. He asked Elsa. "Hey, where'd Keith go? Where's Pearce?"

"They took off upstairs, I think," Elsa answered, wiping her hands on a towel. She watched him as he paced and took off for the stairs. "Sam, wait!"

"What?" He poked his head around the corner.

"Whatever it is, let them discuss it and they can tell us later."

"But I need to be in on it if Keith's got an idea for finding Mike and Fi," Sam protested. He ducked down the short hall to the living area, but a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Elsa, let me go."

She pulled until he turned to face her, and she captured him with her arms around his neck, pulling close to him. In a soft voice, she spoke as she caressed the back of his neck and his face. "Sweetheart, I know. I understand that you want to charge right out there and find your friends, but until you know where to look, it's fruitless. And in the meantime, whoever has them could be doing something..." She shook her head. "Anyway, my point is, now is not the time to be going off half-cocked. Let Keith and Dani work out the plan, and I'm sure they'll let you and Jesse join in."

"They might want us to stay here. Less dangerous for us, and maybe for Mike and Fi." Sam let out a breath. What she was doing to him with her touch, on a good day it could drive him crazy. In the middle of a rash minute, it distracted him from doing something he might regret later. "Someone would have to stay behind to watch over you."

"I'd be fine. No one has found us here."

"Yet. But they might, and then if you're alone..." He shook his head so hard, it twisted out of her hand. She recaptured it and he kissed the palm. "I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you. But I also can't live with myself if I find out later that I could have done something to rescue my best friend and his girlfriend, who also happens to be a good friend, you know."

"I do." Elsa rested her forehead against Sam's before kissing his lips. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and his slipped around her back, holding her so close he sensed the buttons on his shirt pressing into his skin through the t-shirt underneath.

Sam captured and held her lips, and he wouldn't let go for anything, not even the scent of something burning.

"Mmmph, Sam," Elsa said as she pushed away from his lips. "I need to finish cooking, or I'll ruin supper and nobody will be happy with me."

"I'd suggest we go out for dinner instead, but there isn't a whole lot out here," Sam joked. He released Elsa and let her get back to cooking. He and Jesse hung around and helped by setting the table. After they assembled at the table to eat, Sam asked, "Well, have you come up with any ideas?"

"We have," Dani answered, glancing at Keith before continuing. "We're going to leave you three here and try to get in touch with the intelligence community to see if we can find out anything on Michael and Fiona's whereabouts."

"We figure you and Jesse can handle yourselves, unless they bring in some big guns." Keith picked up a forkful of rice. "And if that happens, we could have an army here and still have trouble protecting you. As long as you stay inside and don't go into town much, it'll be okay."

"We should come up with some sort of cover, just in case," Jesse suggested. Pointing to Sam and Elsa sitting side by side, he said, "You two could be a married couple who just moved into the area, and I'm a friend who just came back from... I don't know, somewhere overseas."

"I see one problem with this plan," Elsa said, and everyone looked at her. The pressure of having their expectant eyes on her caused her to shrink a little in her chair.

"What is it, sweetheart," Sam asked in a reassuring tone. He knew her well enough to know that if she had reservations it was for a good reason.

"Keith went to town with you, Sam, so people saw you, and if they recognize you and see you with Jesse, they'll wonder where they other guy went. They might question if we're up to something suspicious with different people coming and going."

"So you're saying that Keith should stay here," Jesse said. "Dani can't go by herself. This is too dangerous."

"Well it's too dangerous for you to go, Jesse," Keith countered.

"Maybe we should all just stay put," Elsa exclaimed, starting a clamor of voices warring around the table.

Sam let out a shrill whistle, and everyone stopped mid-sentence and stared at him. "Okay, I think everyone agrees that Elsa and I should stay here. I say Keith should stay here as well, and Jesse and Dani can do the hunting." He pointed at them. "If you hear anything, you let us know immediately. We've got the burner phones, so don't be stingy with the info. Who knows, there might be something we can do from this end."

"I don't like leaving you guys behind," Jesse said. "Sam, we... we've been through so much with Mike and Fi and us..."

"I know, Jess. Like Keith said to me earlier, we can't sit around here forever hiding in this house. We're gonna have to show our faces sometime, and I'd like it to be when it's safe to do so." Sam lay his silverware on his half eaten meal and pushed away the plate. "We're in a remote area, and from what I could tell from our one foray into town, the people here are pretty much the kind who keep to themselves. They're armed, but not necessarily dangerous."

"That reminds me about your little intervention," Dani spoke up with censure in her voice. "Sam, I know you have a hard time walking away from a situation, but from what Keith told me, that was one of those times where you should have left it alone."

Sam's hands folded as he glared at her sitting across the table. "No, I don't think so. You weren't there. It wasn't that big of a deal at first, but if you'd seen the look on that guy's face. I think Keith will back me up on this, that Homer had blood in his eyes and he would have beat that woman to a pulp if no one intervened."

"He looked like he had a lot of rage," Keith vouched. "Guy like that, you don't know what he's going to do. Sam made the right call, and fortunately the cops didn't ask for a lot of identifying information." He pushed his chair back, standing and taking up his plate and glass. "So, who's doing dishes if Elsa cooked?"

"I think it's your turn, Keith," Jesse said.

Keith sighed. "It figures." He picked up more empty plates and carried them to the kitchen. Jesse picked up some as well and followed.

Dani let out a sigh and picked at a loose thread on the placemat. "If it's okay with you, Jesse and I will leave tomorrow morning."

"How are you going to leave," Sam asked. "I have an idea. Let's all get in the SUV and take you and Jesse to the next town, where you can hopefully get a bus to the nearest city with an airport. Then Keith, Elsa, and I will come back, and if anyone starts asking questions, we tell them a story about how Keith and I are buddies and we were scouting out places to live for my wife and me. We're renting the house and Keith is staying for awhile."

"It's a workable plan," Dani said.

Elsa asked, "Dani, do you need access to funds to book a flight to DC or wherever you're going?"

"I still have friends in the agency." Dani smiled. "Thanks anyway, but they'll be able to get us what we need."

Nodding, Elsa said, "Okay. If things change, let me know. We can maybe contact Barry again."

"Only as a last resort," Sam said. "Right now, we have to pretend to be Mr. and Mrs. Charles Finley..."

"No," Dani exclaimed. "The agency knows that alias. I know how much you love it, but you have to think of something else."

"Well, then what should we go with?"

"How about Charles and Elaine Ramsey," Elsa said with a soft, humble tone. "Ramsey is my grandmother's maiden name. Or is that too obvious?"

"I think it'll work," Dani responded. "You two better figure out a back story that'll convince people if it comes to it, and get it down tight, because there's no going back if you make a mistake or your stories don't match."

"I know how this works, Pearce," Sam informed her, although he needn't have bothered. She knew, but the idea of leaving them behind was something she was reconsidering. He could see it in her expression of doubt. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"If something happens to you, Michael will kill me."

"We'll just have to make sure nothing happens, then." Sam wore a smug expression.

She gave him a smile in return, but Sam saw the reticence still in her features and the way she sat with folded hands.

"Tomorrow. We'll leave tomorrow morning, really early."

"Yeah. You better go get some rest, you and Jesse," Sam said. "We'll see you in the morning."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Well, they're gone. Now what do we do," Elsa asked Sam less than five minutes after he dropped Jesse and Dani off at the airport. Keith waited at the house, keeping it secure. Sam suspected the real reason he stayed behind was so that he could get over the jealousy of seeing Dani go off on a mission while he hung around to play body guard to an ex-SEAL and a multi-millionaire. Looking at it from that perspective, Sam wouldn't have wanted that job, either.

"We go back to the house, but first we'll make a stop in Grant's Pass. I want to see if I can contact Maddie," Sam replied.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Slightly. If we call from a pay phone, or borrow a cell from someone, it'll be less risky. I'm concerned about Maddie, and I want to see what she knows about Mike." He glanced at Elsa, his concern written in the furrow of his brow. "If she knows that he's alive."

Elsa gasped, and her mouth formed a sizable 'o'. "You're not going to drop that bomb on her if she doesn't know! Not over the phone like that!"

"No, but I'm going to put the feelers out and discover what she knows. She might be able to give us some intel we don't have."

"Sam, no. Let me talk to Mrs. Westen," Elsa begged. "I'm afraid you'll touch on a nerve and upset her, and she's all alone right now. That would be too cruel."

Looking across the space between them, Sam saw the blatant empathy in Elsa's sad expression. He swallowed and nodded, and didn't say anything more. As soon as he found a pay phone, Elsa scrounged in her purse for a small handful of change. Sam emptied his pockets, handed her the coins, and stood by while she dialed the number for Maddie's burn phone. Elsa held the receiver so Sam could listen.

"Hello?" Maddie answered with a cheerful voice. Neither of them expected such a light response.

"Mrs. Westen, it's Elsa. I-I don't believe we've met..."

"You're Sam's girlfriend," Maddie answered. "Why are you calling me? How'd you get this number?"

"Never mind that right now. Is it safe to talk where you are, Mrs. Westen?"

"Oh yes, it's fine. Virgil and I are out on his boat, and he's checked it for bugs and trackers, swept it clean." She chuckled. "This is about the only place that I can get some peace these days."

"Virgil's back in town? Mi..." He stopped himself, almost giving up what he knew. If she knew Michael was alive, surely she would be more cautious about having Virgil around, given how Mike felt about the guy.

"Sam! Is that you?" Maddie's voice went up an octave as she spoke his name. "How are you? You're okay? The last I heard, you were shot up and almost died, and then you disappeared." She snorted. "I thought the agents were just lying to me, again, so that I would say something to give up your location. But I told them I honestly had no idea where you were."

"It's me, Maddie. I'm fine, and yes we disappeared for a good reason." Sam smiled, warmed to the core at the sound of her gladness. "So, Virgil's there."

"Yes, he is, and he couldn't have shown up at a better time," Maddie answered with a happy tone. "He's been very good to me, keeping my mind off things, and helping to bore the agents watching me. Today, we just wanted to get away from all that."

"So the agency is still bothering you, huh?" Sam asked the question, and he heard an intake of air.

Maddie sighed. "Until you figure out who's in charge of this, I'm afraid it isn't going to end. If Michael and Fiona would just come home..." Her voice broke, and Sam was relieved that she knew the truth. "You know they're alive, don't you?"

"Yes. I was afraid you didn't know," Sam said, taking the receiver from Elsa. She excused herself without a word and ducked into a shop nearby. "I didn't know how to tell you."

"The agency lied and said he was dead, but an old friend of yours told me the truth," Maddie answered. "Uh, her name is Lucy. I was afraid to believe her, but she had proof, Sam."

"That couldn't have been easy to hear from someone else, a stranger no less." He hung his head. He should have been the one to tell her. "How did you run into Lucy?"

"She approached Virgil and me one day at a park. If one of those CIA agents had told me and backed it up with proof... I probably would have ripped him to pieces." She hesitated. "I didn't want to believe her at first, I mean, I buried Michael and Fiona." Sniffling, she continued, "But Lucy had contacts who gave her photographs of Michael and Fiona being unloaded from a cargo plane."

Sam blurted, "Together?"

"Yes. You don't know how happy I was that they weren't separated."

It was hard for Sam to keep his voice down when he asked, "Where? Where are they?"

"The pictures were a couple weeks old, and Lucy couldn't tell me where they were taken. I just know that it was obvious that it was Michael and Fiona, and they were being taken somewhere by a small group of men dressed in fatigues." He heard her taking a couple breaths. "Sam, I asked her for help, but she said she couldn't because she was also in danger of being watched by the agency. She said this was the kind of job she would have asked Michael to handle."

The soft chuckle that came out of Sam sounded hollow. "I don't know why they'd want to keep an eye on Lucy. Maybe they think we'll try to contact her. I hadn't even given it a thought." He rested his right arm on the pay phone box and studied the area around him. He and Elsa were in a well-populated area at the moment, making it more likely that he could be watched without detection. "Listen, Maddie, I've already spent too much time on the phone with you. I'll try to keep in contact with you somehow."

"I miss you, Sam, and I wish you could all come home. I miss my family." Maddie's voice cracked.

"I know. We miss you too. I promise I'll call again in a week or so. Hopefully things will have changed for the better in that time, and Dani and Jesse can find Mike and Fi. I wish there was a way you could get that intel to Jesse." He sighed. "In the meantime, just keep your nose clean."

"I will. Where are you, Sam?"

"Maddie, I wish I could tell you, but that information could be dangerous for you to know."

"What part of the country are you in?" She was getting desperate, Sam could hear it in her voice.

"Maddie, can you put Virgil on for a minute?"

"Sure."

"Thanks. 'Bye, Maddie. I... I love you."

"I love you too, Sam. You're like my third son, and I worry... hang on, here's Virgil."

A few moments of silence bridged the time Maddie stopped speaking and when a deep breath filled the receiver. "Sammy, it's me, Virgil. What's up?"

"I want you to keep taking care of Maddie, even if you have to get in that boat and haul her to the Bahamas."

"I'm done with that place, but if we have to, I know some quiet, out of the way locations where we can go." Virgil's voice oozed confidence. "Don't worry, Sammy, I'll take real good care of Michael's mama. You work on finding him and Fiona."

"Elsa and I are staying put where we are, and Jesse and Dani are going in search of Mike and Fi. It's a long story."

"I can imagine. Any chance you can tell me where you are?"

"I shouldn't."

"You should, just in case..."

Sam let out a small growl. Virgil was right. Sam also knew that his old Navy and covert ops buddy had an amazing ability to defy torture. Getting information out of him wouldn't be easy. "Okay, think trees. Lots of trees, beautiful scenery, mountains, and lots of cold weather gear. No Hawaiian shirts around here. There's gold nearby, and a Rogue."

"Ohhhh, Sammy. My sympathies. Take care and don't freeze to death."

"We'll be fine. We won't be going into any craters or lakes any time soon."

Sam could imagine Virgil grinning, taking in all the clues that Sam gave him. "Good luck, Son. Call if you need anything, and I'll signal you with the code word 'cloudy' if I have an inkling that someone's listening in or we have... companions."

"Sounds good, Virgil. Thanks for taking care of Maddie. I know she's in good hands." Sam looked toward the shop where Elsa disappeared. She came out with a couple of shopping bags. "I've gotta go."

"I know. Hopefully we'll talk soon. 'Bye."

"Yeah. 'Bye." Sam hesitated, then opened his mouth to speak, but the line was already dead.

A recorded voice startled Sam. "Please insert four dollars and sixty five cents into the coin slot at this time."

"Wow, that was an expensive call," Sam muttered and slipped the coins into the slot.

Elsa approached and asked with hope in her eyes. "Can we go home yet?" Every second that Sam said nothing caused her smile to turn into a frown.

"Sorry, honey, but we're stuck here for awhile." He deposited the last coin.

"Thank you for choosing Pacific Net Long Distance. Good bye."

Sam hung up the receiver, slid the remainder of the coins from the shelf, and stuck them into his pocket. "So, what were you up to while I was on the phone? Buying out the store with our resources?"

"No, I went in there and asked the proprietor if I could use his phone. I told him I had an important call to make and my husband was hogging the pay phone," Elsa replied with a snicker. "He was very nice."

"Who did you call?"

"Barry. I asked him to have more funds wired to a bank in Ashland." She smiled, a smug expression, adding, "He was able to supply me with the name of a guy he knows through an acquaintance. He runs a pawn shop in Ashland, and he can make us fake ID's and passports, no questions asked. After we get our new identities, we can go to the bank, open an account under our new names, and start assimilating into the area as Mr. & Mrs. Ramsey."

Sam was speechless. He could only gape at her for a few seconds before finally speaking. "My god, Elsa, you're brilliant." He took her into his arms and kissed her right there on the street, not caring if anyone watched.

When they parted, she blushed, and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she said, "It wasn't anything spectacular. Barry instructed me on what to do. He really is a great friend, Sam."

"That he is." Sam picked up the bags that she dropped on the sidewalk when he embraced her. Looking inside one, he asked, "What is all this?"

"Clothes to help us look more like natives," she replied. "Come on, let's hit the road, get to Ashland, and take care of business." Her smile widened. "Although, we should probably stop at the house first, to pick up Keith. He'll need new ID papers too."

"You're right." Sam's smile mirrored hers as he put his arm around her shoulders and led her past the store to the SUV parked a half block away. "You almost made me forget about him." He placed a light kiss on her temple. "Going forward, you should call me Charles, or Chuck, and I'll call you Elaine, right?"

"Yes," Elsa replied. "Even in private. We don't want to accidentally slip somewhere that it might cause a problem."

He chuckled. "I don't know if I should be proud of you, or scared."

"Be afraid, Chuck. Be very afraid." She laughed, disengaging from him long enough for him to throw the bags into the back seat. He slammed the door, opened the passenger side for her, and held her close for another kiss. Against his collar, she whispered. "We better get home, Mr. Ramsey. I have a surprise for you when we get there."

"You realize we're about an hour from the house."

"It'll wait." She smiled, pecked him on the lips, and got into the vehicle.

As much as he hated being in hiding, at that moment he couldn't wait to return to their home outside the little town of Hope. Sam behaved himself and kept to the speed limit, stealing glances at Elsa, seeing a private smile on her face that made him wish all the more that she would spill the surprise. He realized that he'd been on the run for almost a year with Mike and Fi until he was shot, and in all that time he missed Elsa so much, feeling stabs of jealousy because Mike and Fi had each other. He could have given up and gone back to Elsa, but he hung in there because of what was at stake. The last time he left her being he wanted to bring her along; however, it was too dangerous. It still was, but the agency sought her as well now, so he had no choice.

"I'm kind of glad things worked out the way they did, E... Elaine." The corner of his mouth tipped up.

"Why do you say that, Chuck?" She smiled as she tried his alias.

"I was just thinking about how mad I'd get sometimes thinking that it wasn't fair." Seeing the puzzled expression on her face, he continued. "There were times when I'd get almost crazy with jealousy because Mike and Fi had each other through this, and you were back in Miami alone. It hurt me, knowing that you hurt from missing me."

"I cried a lot of tears after you were gone, Chuck." She blinked away more as she said, "As scary as this has been, I'm glad we're together."

"Me too, baby. Me too." He kissed her hand, the one he clasped firm in his. He saw the road coming up that would take them to their home. "We'll be there in a little while. You sure you want to wait to tell me what your surprise is?"

Laughing under her breath, Elsa replied, "Yes. You'll just have to keep your pants on, mister."

"Aww, I was hoping that it was something that would make clothing optional."

She burst into laughter, leaned into his arm, and squeezed it with her hand. "I love you, Chuck."

"Love you too, Elaine."

Sam pulled into the drive, helped Elsa out of the vehicle, and grabbed the bags. "You didn't by any chance get anything for Keith, did you?"

"I would have, but I did't know his sizes." Elsa replied with a distressed expression. "I hope he won't feel slighted. It's not like I spent a ton on these clothes. I found them in a thrift shop, for crying out loud."

"A thrift shop." Sam's eyebrow went up and he glanced at her in new appreciation. "That was good thinking. I'm so lucky I married you, Mrs. Ramsey. You're one smart lady."

"You haven't married me yet, Mr. Ramsey." She took the first porch step, turned, and stood over him by a few inches. He looked up at her, not sure what she had in mind. "Why don't we make this official? Get married when we're in Ashland."

"Under our false ID's?"

"Yes, why not! Then we'll really be married, and later, when we go back to who we are, technically we'll still be married."

"But I still haven't gotten things settled with my other wife, the furlough mistake." Sam looked deep into her eyes. "It's a nice idea, sweetheart, but I can't do that to you. I need to clean house first."

"How long are you going to let that be a stumbling block in our relationship?" The loving expression wiped off her face, replaced by betrayal.

"This is not the time. I don't have the resources to track her down."

"But I do. If I have to do the work to find her, I will. And if my sources find her, and you still balk at getting this over so you can marry me... well..." Tears filled her eyes as she spoke. "I don't even want to think about that." She turned on her heel and trotted up the steps, and before Sam could catch up to her she flung the door open and retreated inside.

Sam entered the living area burdened by Elsa's purchases and the weight on his heart. He didn't mean to make her think he didn't want to marry her. Other than regaining their freedom, getting rid of the past was on the top of his list of things to do, closely followed by making Elsa his wife.

"Wow, Sam, what'd you do?" Keith asked.

"Where'd she go?"

"Upstairs." Keith shook his head. "I think you're gonna be sleeping alone for awhile, man. She looked really upset."

Looking pretty upset himself, Sam said, "She has every right to be." He dropped the load, and the paper bags crinkled as they hit the floor. "I'm going into town for a little bit. If I'm not back in a half hour, start worrying."

"You can't go alone, Sam!" He jumped out of his seat and held Sam, preventing him from walking out the door.

"I don't care if I can or can't. I'll be back in a half hour or less." He brushed off Keith's grip like it was a gnat and slammed the door behind him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Landing in DC was risky, but so was the quest to find Michael and Fiona. Neither Dani nor Jesse cared about the hazards; the couple only did what they could to lessen the chances of being caught. Dani carried false ID's with her at all times, and Jesse had a set from the past that he could probably use safely. From the moment Dani bought the tickets to the time she rented a car in DC, Jesse was on alert. As a seasoned spy, he knew how to be on edge but look normal like any other civilian tourist.

"Let's go, and you drive. I need to make some calls." She hit the send button on her phone and waited for the call to go through. "Director Raines, it's Laina Dobbs." She hit the speaker so Jesse could hear.

"Ms. Dobbs, so nice to hear from you. I take it things are going well?"

"They're okay. Listen, I just came to town, and I thought it would be really great if we could meet for lunch. Is your calendar full today?" She glanced at Jesse and mouthed, "Langley." Jesse nodded and took the exit for the freeway that would get them into Virginia.

"I would love to. I have a gift for you, and I wanted to send it, but I didn't know where to mail it. You move around so much."

Dani smiled. "You know, that's part of my business. Where do you want to meet?"

"There's a deli in downtown McLean. Do you know the one?"

"Yes I do, and it sounds perfect. I'll see you in, say, a half hour?"

"Perfect," Raines said. "See you then, Laina."

When she hung up and slipped the phone into her purse, Dani looked at Jesse and saw him grinning. Her smile was less confident as she asked, "What?"

His eyes flashed with amusement as he replied, "Laina Dobbs. Has a nice ring to it. It makes you sound elegant, but all business."

"Well then it's a perfect cover, if you ask me," Dani declared with a look that gave away her wry sense of humor. "Although, I don't look very elegant in these clothes." She regarded the jeans and sweater with a sour expression. "This is not my usual style."

"It's perfect," Jesse said. "Anyone who knows you and might be looking for you wouldn't suspect you'd dress like a lumberjack."

Dani let out a snort. "Lumberjack? Hardly. I left the plaid back at the house."

She and Jesse bantered back and forth all the way to their destination. If she had to be on such a serious mission, she was glad to have Jesse as her companion. Dani didn't know much about Keith other than what she'd seen the past week being holed up in the house. He seemed to be a hard core agent, a lot like Michael in his drive, with a twist of Sam at times. Jesse could be considered cut from the same cloth, but even in his intensity, he found a way to lighten the mood when it was needed the most. She looked forward to working with him.

Jesse parked a few doors away from the deli, and he and Dani strolled past the storefronts in a casual manner. The two played the part of shoppers to the hilt, and every time he stopped her to look into a display window, Dani checked the reflection for any hint of someone following them.

"We're clear, but after we meet with Raines, we should be more careful," Dani muttered.

"Why, do you think Raines is someone to be concerned about?" He stepped closer and put an arm around her shoulders. To his surprise, she played the part and slipped an arm around his waist.

"I trust him a lot more than I did Card, that's for sure," she answered. "And that's saying a lot, because at first I never suspected Card of anything, but when I started seeing files regarding black ops and Anson and Weston all tying together with his name peppered throughout them, I knew I had something."

"I wonder what Raines was talking about when he referred to packages he wanted to send you," Jesse mused close to her ear.

Dani smiled as she moved her head away from the breath that tickled her ear. "I guess we'll just have to meet him and find out. Let's go, I think we're safe now."

She turned out of his grip, but Jesse let his hand slip across her back to lead her to the deli. He opened the door, letting her go inside first, and he followed closely behind with a smile on his face but wariness in his eyes. Raines sat in a booth away from most of the lunch crowd. He eyed them over the menu, then waved it in front of his face. Dani and Jesse weaved through the small space between tables and approached the booth.

"You two are looking well," Raines said as he stood to greet them. "Have a seat. I was waiting for you before I ordered anything." After the waitress disappeared to place their order with the kitchen, he sat back and sighed. "This is nice. I don't get many chances to go out for lunch. I usually have meetings to keep me inside."

"Well, we're glad we could do you a favor," Jesse said. "Now, why did you want to meet with us, other than to catch up?"

Dani glanced at him and laid a hand on his arm to slow him down. "Sorry, Sir. I think that being in hiding for awhile has gotten to our friend."

"Understandable. That's okay, I'm a man who likes to spare the bull and get to the heart of the matter." He turned to his right where he something lay on the seat. He picked it up and set it on the table, pushing it across the space between him and Dani, smiling. "I promised you gifts. It's several wrapped into one. Happy birthday, and, well, consider it an early Christmas present. Just a little something that will assist you in your travels." He grinned.

"Thank you. If you don't mind, I'll open it later." She held back a yelp when Jesse kicked her ankle under the table, but the look she gave him would have cut his throat if it had been a knife.

"You might want to open it now," Jesse said. "Who knows, it might be something you can use immediately."

With a sigh, Dani ripped the red and white striped paper off the large, flat container the size of a shirt box. She pulled off the top and was impressed with the packing job. Parting the tissue paper, inside she found new ID badges designating her and Jesse as field agents of the NSA. Everything they needed to become Agents Laina Dobbs and Aaron Willis lay inside the box. Underneath, she discovered several file folders.

"I think you'll find some interesting reading there, Agent Dobbs," Raines said with a smile. "Good road trip reading."

"I can hardly wait," she said. Dani slipped Jesse's papers to him, which he pocketed. She stuffed the folders into her large bag. "I wish we had something for you."

Raines grinned and replied, "It's the thought that counts, Laina."

The food arrived and the three chatted like old friends, but with the amount of code speak flying between Dani and Raines, Jesse felt lost. He trusted that she would translate afterwards, so he played the part of the doting boyfriend for any eyes that may have been watching. After lunch the couple said goodbye to Raines with a promise to check in now and then. He walked in the opposite direction and disappeared into a crowd.

"Well, we're on our own again," Dani said. "Let's find a place to spend the night and make plans for our next move."

Jesse found a small motel near the freeway, and he and Dani retreated to a room with two double beds. Despite the displays of affection in public, both of them were aware that it was nothing more than a front. Separate beds would not be an issue.

Dani spread out the files on the bed that she chose for herself, and she sat in the center and picked up one folder. "This one has pictures of Michael and Fiona. They're labeled on the back."

"Do they have a location." Jesse slipped onto the mattress and sat beside her looking over her shoulder at the photos. "They both look like whoever took them is either treating them like crap, or they never had a chance to recover from their injuries like Sam did."

"Yes, and that worries me. If they're not healthy, we could find them... only to lose them." She swallowed, sorry that it was too late to try to take back the words. Shaking her head, she said, "Forget it. Let's not think that way. We'll find them first, rescue them, and then we can get them whatever care they need."

Jesse flipped through the last of the photos and set the folder aside. The next folder held papers with reports. "These look like some transmissions that the agency intercepted regarding Mike and Fi. Sloppy work, bad guys."

"Unless they did it on purpose to throw off anyone who tried to go after them." Dani picked up a third folder. "You didn't see anything about location on those photos, did you?"

"Uh, no. But you're welcome to look." He reached for the folder the same time she did, and her chest collided with his shoulder. "Oh, sorry!" He backed off and held out the folder. "Here."

"Thanks." Her eyes slid up to his, and she wondered if he had another motive. That was the downside to her line of work, always looking at people's actions, listening to their words, and thinking that maybe there was an underlying meaning. Another negative to her profession was the inability to meet people outside of her work to have what most people would consider a normal relationship. Around colleagues she couldn't reveal herself. The last man she let through her tough shell was killed before they were married, so she didn't want to go through anything remotely like that again.

"So, what was all that you and Raines were talking about at the deli? I couldn't make heads or tails of any of it."

Dani gave Jesse a sidelong glance and a smirk. "Jealous?"

"No, Dani. I just wanna know if it's pertinent to the search, that's all." He looked uncomfortable at the idea that he could be jealous, which only amused her even more.

"It was nothing, really. Just talking about old times and how Raines worked with me on a mission a long time ago that was similar to this one." Seeing she had Jesse's attention, she dropped the file on the bed and continued. "We lost two agents, they hadn't been heard from for months. Then our intel picked up on a terror cell in Albania, and to our surprise they had our agents."

"Were the agents involved in an undercover operation there," Jesse asked.

"You know I can't tell you that. It's classified." She rolled her eyes. "But I can tell you that based on the intel, we were able to find them and extract our people."

"So you're saying with all this info we should be able to pin down where Mike and Fi are, and just go in and get them?"

"I didn't say it would be a slam dunk, Jesse. Or should I say, Aaron." She gave him a small smile. "It looks like we have clues, but nothing to pinpoint where they are now. In this folder is a trail through Eastern Europe, and I'll have to sift through all this to see what their last possible location was."

"You mean we. We're in this together, Laina."

Her eyes softened as she stared at him. "Of course." She swallowed and said, "Maybe we'll get lucky and they're still in that place."

"How are we going to get them out by ourselves," Jesse asked. "Or is Raines promising help?"

"We figure out where Michael and Fiona are, and Raines will supply the men and firepower to rescue them." She looked deep into Jesse's eyes and said, "That's what he promised, and I believe him."

"Okay. Let's do some digging into these folders!" Jesse grabbed a short stack and left Dani with the others. He parked himself in a chair at a small table, spread the folders out, and took notes on a pad of paper he found in one of the drawers. It was bad spy craft to use stationery supplied by the place where they were lodging, but when it was risky to run down to the nearest office supply store, he made do.

"This is going to take awhile," Dani muttered after a couple hours of staring at words on pages. She rubbed her eyes. "I say we go get something to eat."

"Yeah. You stay here, I'll get something from that pizza place just around the corner," Jesse urged and stood. He gathered his folders, tapped them into a neat pile, and gave them to Dani. "If you need to bolt, let me know somehow."

She nodded. "I'll set the Do Not Disturb in the window on its long side, and if it's gone, you know there's trouble."

Jesse nodded. "Good plan. See you in a little bit."

The pizza was average, but the company was good. When he allowed himself to relax a little, Jesse could be a funny man. Dani had taken her job and herself seriously for so long, she wasn't sure she even had it in her to laugh. When it was time for them to get some sleep, she was sorry to see the night end.

Dani was also concerned about how to handle the night time preparations for bed. It wasn't as if she'd never dressed in pajamas and paraded around in them before a male agent. This was Jesse. Should it have really mattered? It did, because spending some personal time with him flicked a switch inside. She remembered how good things were with Jay, the way he made her laugh and enjoy life. He started out as an asset, became a friend, then a lover, and almost her husband. Jesse was a friend, but she had to toe the line there, no matter how much hearing her name on his lips sent a tingle through her insides. Never let romance get in the way of a job. She learned that the hard way.

Taking advantage of Jesse rooting around in his suitcase with his attention away from her, Danie snuck out of the bathroom and slipped under the covers. He turned, raised an eyebrow at her stealth, but he didn't say a word. He went into the bathroom and took his turn preparing for bed. The door was closed only long enough for him to change into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Then he opened the door, allowing her to watch him brush his teeth and wash his face. She didn't even know a man bothered with that. Jay didn't.

Jesse straightened, looked in the mirror, and caught her watching. He finished drying his face, dropping the towel over the bar and turning to switch off the light, leaving them in darkness. A sliver of light trained on Jesse's bed from the gap between the heavy curtains. He ignored it and slipped under the covers.

"Night, Laina." He used her cover name.

"Night, Aaron." She used his.

And despite the fact that she was headed off to dreams of better times, she was on the job again. Finding Michael and Fiona was all that mattered. She was almost asleep when she heard Jesse mumble, his deep voice cutting through the darkness.

"I think we need to start looking in Algeria."

"Right." She yawned, burrowed into her pillow, and dreamed of a mission in that country many years before. Hopefully this one would go a lot better.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Sam should have told Keith where he was going, just in case. He was only headed to the library in town, attempting to find some information on the internet, but in their precarious position, who knew what could happen. The house wasn't equipped with service, and cell phone signals appeared to be dodgy, so he couldn't log in on his phone. Sam had to venture out to complete his mission.

It took longer to find somewhere private to make a call than it did to locate the number he needed. Sam could have kicked himself for not looking into this before, especially after what happened with Veronica. It was just as well that things turned out the way they did, because Sam wasn't sure that she could have handled how crazy his life got after she kicked him out. Elsa, on the other hand, continued to surprise him. He knew she was a strong woman, but he never in his wildest dreams would have pegged her as having latent spy tendencies. Everything he asked of her she did, and she was quite adept. He knew it was because she loved him, and thanks to her sacrifice, he loved her even more.

Sam sat in a comfortable, upholstered chair in the corner of a reading area at the back of the library. A fire blazed in a fireplace to his left, the heat radiating to his crossed legs. It felt good. In another couple of months it would be Christmas. He didn't want to be around if the area had a lot of snow. Considering the town was in the mountains, mere foothills compared to the Rocky Mountains, he didn't hold out much hope of not having snow.

"Thank you for contacting the Nevada Bureau of Records and Statistics. Please press one for English." Before the recording could start in with Spanish, Sam pressed the number. He followed the menu that never seemed to end until at last the phone rang, and he waited for someone to pick up.

"Marriage licenses, how may I help you?"

"Hi, I hope I'm talking to the right department. I'm looking for a copy of a marriage license for Sam Axe and Amanda..." He trailed off, realizing that her last name escaped him.

"Yes, Sir?"

"Uh," he stalled and laughed. "You're gonna think this is funny, but I forgot her last name. It was over thirty years ago that the marriage took place, in Reno."

The clerk on the other side of the line exhaled. "That's okay. I just need a Social Security Number for either the husband or wife. Then I can tell you whether we have a license on file, and if we do, you'll need to submit a form to obtain a copy."

"Okay." Sam gave her his number and waited. He heard her fingers clicking on the keyboard, followed by the lighter tapping on a mouse. All the while he looked around, watching the almost empty library for anyone who might be listening to his conversation.

"Sir?"

"Yes? I'm still here."

"I looked through the records for a license issued in Reno and Las Vegas..."

He interrupted her. "I know it was Reno."

"Well, I'm sorry. I couldn't find anything. I looked in the entire state record database, but there is no record of a Sam or a Samuel Axe marrying anyone in the state."

"You're certain?"

"Absolutely. I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

"Is it possible that it got... lost?"

"No, Sir. If a couple married and the officiator of the marriage failed to turn in the signed license, eventually that would most likely be caught." She snickered. "With the large number of instant wedding chapels in this state, the government likes to keep close tabs on that."

"Thanks." Sam hung up and tapped the cell phone on his knee as he sat in deep thought. This had to be some sort of mistake. Sam knew he married Amanda. Sure, they were both a little, maybe more than a little, drunk at the time. But she seemed to believe as much as he that they were married.

If only I could find her. Most likely she has a copy of the license, and hopefully she would be happy to divorce me.

Thinking of one person who might have an inkling, Sam shook his head. He shouldn't risk calling Mack, but at the moment, he was the only one Sam could think of who could help. What would be worse, creating a link for the CIA to find him by calling Mack, or not making the woman he loved happy by tying up loose ends, freeing them to marry? If he was alone, there'd be no question. He should have left her in Miami. But Sam knew the truth. The bad apples in the CIA wouldn't have left her alone, and what kind of life would that have been for her? Elsa was safer and better off with him than without.

Letting out a deep sigh, Sam dialed Mack's number. "Mack, it's Sam."

"What the..." Mack's voice lowered. "Sam, what are you doing calling me? Aren't you supposed to be in hiding?"

A large cold lump formed in his midsection. "How'd you know about that?"

Mack was almost whispering as he responded. "I got a call from Director Raines at the CIA. He told me if you called I should tell you to stay put. That was last week, so I don't know, did your status change?"

"Not really. Don't worry, I'm laying low. I just need a really big favor." He quickly explained what he needed. "So, do you remember where Amanda and I got married?"

"I thought you guys got hitched in Reno," Mack answered.

"So did I. But they have no record of us marrying there."

Mack sighed. "I think I remember the name of the place. Say, why don't I do some looking into this? I've got access to things you won't have on the civilian side. Call me back in an hour, and I should have something for you."

"Thanks, Mack. You're a life-saver!"

"Not a problem. I told you if you ever needed anything, I'd help. Talk to you in an hour, Sam." The line closed without fanfare.

What to do in an hour? Sam didn't want to hang around the library. He decided to walk the main street and look into the shops. If Mack could help him get his last marriage straightened out with little fuss, and that would be a big 'if', then he would need some hardware to help make his new marriage official. He stopped in front of a jeweler's store that, along with the antique jewelry in the window display, looked as if it had dropped out of the nineteenth century. Sam went inside to look around.

He emerged awhile later with a small package and a big smile. He stuffed the package into his jacket pocket, glanced at his watch, and the expression dimmed. He still had a half hour before it was time to call Mack. A coffee shop beckoned with a hearty scent drifting trough the front door when a woman came outside. It called him, and he couldn't help himself. He needed something to warm up. In Miami he would be toasty without a hot coffee to aid him. He would be sipping a mojito or a beer in the sun, his biggest concern whether or not he would get a sunburn. A deep sigh leaked out from between his lips. He missed those days.

"Sir, can I help you?"

Sam didn't realize that he'd been woolgathering while standing in a short line. He glanced at the menu board and came up with a quick solution. "Yeah, I'll have a large house blend, black." Easy peasy, just as long as it was hot. He sat in a comfortable chair and wrapped his hands around the cardboard cup. Steam rose from the rich dark liquid and bathed his face in warmth. As he savored the heat, he watched the lead gray sky outside release fat raindrops that smacked against the window. He groaned and wished he'd brought an umbrella. There were several in a caddy near the door back at the house, but that didn't help him here. When he left he was too agitated to think about the weather and what the dark sky might unleash.

He finished off his coffee and was pleased to see that the brief shower was over, making it possible for him to get to the SUV without being soaked. After sitting in the driver's seat, he dialed Mack.

"This is Mack."

"Mack, it's Sam. What did you find?"

"You're not gonna believe it, Sam. There is absolutely no record of you and Amanda being married."

"That's what the clerk told me, but it can't be true. Did you check the chapel where we got married?" Sam was beginning to get nervous. What happened to that license?

"I checked with The White Chapel, and they looked through all their records. They had nothing."

"No," Sam breathed. "That can't be right."

"I checked the other half dozen chapels that are still around, and none of them had anything."

Sam's heart was racing. "This doesn't make sense!"

"I know. I started thinkin' that maybe the Feds were trying to erase you, make you non-existent, but I looked into other things and you're still out there, buddy. Not even the Feds have a record of you being married." He hesitated. "I think you need to accept the fact that contrary to what you think you remember, there was no wedding."

"But Mack, what if Amanda thinks we are?"

Mack chuckled. "I thought about that too, so I did some digging and got some results just before you called. Unlike you, I remembered her last name."

A sharp blow of unnecessary jealousy hit Sam. "I don't wanna talk about why that might be."

"Me neither. It's water under the bridge. The point is, I looked Amanda up and found out she's married to someone else. They live in Long Beach, California, and she goes by the name of Amanda Sterling now." He took a breath. "So, that's one less thing you have to worry about, Sam. You're a single guy."

The reality of it threw Sam, and he felt like he'd been slammed to the ground, pushing the air out of his chest, leaving him gasping for air. All this time wasted on a lie, cheating him out of something wonderful he could have had. But no, he had something better now, and he should be thankful that he was free to take it. "Wow. Thanks, Mack. I really owe you for this one."

"Ah, it's nothing. You just stay safe, and take care of whatever lady you're interested in getting hitched to. Okay?" He snickered. "And this time, remember her last name and where you got married, will ya?"

Sam laughed and promised, "I will. Mack, this one is really special. I won't tell you her name, because it might not be safe..."

"I understand. Good luck, Sam."

"Thanks. You too." He closed the connection, stuffed the cell phone in his pocket, and started the vehicle. An overwhelming sense of lightness overtook him. He couldn't believe it was true, that he was a free man. Yet he trusted Mack. His old friend, despite past issues, would never lie to him about something like this.

Sam turned off the SUV and got out, slammed the door, and hurried back to the library. Armed with her last name, he went into public records and searched for Amanda Sterling in Long Beach. It didn't take much effort to find a newspaper clipping of the wedding announcement, along with a photo of the happy bride and groom. Seeing her again for the first time in over thirty years, Sam thought he would be immune to the emotion that crept up from deep inside. They may not have been married, but he remembered how he felt about her at the time. She'd aged well. And the guy she married was not bad looking.

"Well... I guess you finally did get over me. I hope you have a happy life, Mrs. Sterling," Sam whispered. He touched the screen, his index finger resting on the photographic rendition of her cheek. She looked so happy, happier than he ever made her. "Good bye, 'Manda."

Sam wiped the history and closed the browser before he could change his mind and get one more look. There was no point. Amanda was out of his life forever, and she was the past. Back at the house he had a woman better suited to him who loved him more than he deserved, and she was his future. It was time to go to Elsa and make their bond official. They were getting married as soon as possible, even if he had to drive to Nevada to do it.

"Where the hell have you been." Keith burst out of his seat when Sam entered the house. "You said you'd be gone a half hour. That was two hours ago!"

"And yet you sit here, not doing anything."

Keith took a step closer, near enough for Sam to get a good look at the anger in his eyes. "If we had another vehicle, you can bet I would have been driving into town to hunt you down."

"Where's Elsa?" Sam stepped away and around him, but Keith stopped him with a hand clamped on his arm.

"I'm not done talking to you. Where were you?"

"I wanted to see what I could do about my first marriage. See if I could get a divorce or some kind of dissolution so Elsa and I could get married." A softer look swept away the anxiety from his face. "Turns out I was never married to begin with."

Keith's eyebrow rose. "Huh?"

As Sam removed his jacket and hung it in the front closet, he explained what his friend Mack discovered. "Pretty wild, huh? All this time I was living thinking that I was still linked to some other woman, when in fact she's been living her life single for who knows how long until she settled down with some other guy a few years ago. I found the announcement in the newspaper archives."

"Well... I guess congratulations are in order, huh?" A brief smile flashed on Keith's face and he turned serious as he held up a finger and said, "But Sam, if you ever say 'I'll be back in a half hour' and you don't come back in that time, you better just keep on going, 'cause if I find you..."

"Don't worry. Next time I'll call." He patted Keith's arm, skirted around him, and headed for the upstairs. "Is Elsa still up there?"

"Yeah. She's been pretty quiet."

"Thanks." Sam turned toward the stairs.

"Oh, one more thing." He waited until Sam stood waiting for him to continue. "I am going to be your best man, aren't I? I mean, since Michael Westen isn't here, you've got to have someone."

The smile on Sam's face widened, and with a nod he replied, "You got it, Keith. Hopefully Elsa will still have me." He winked and headed for the stairs. In one hand, he held a small box that he shoved into his pocket before disappearing from Keith's sight.

"Elsa?" Sam knocked on the closed door. "Elsa, it's me, Sammy. Can I come in? Please?" He tried not to sound too desperate.

He was rewarded with the soft thud of footsteps, and the door opened. "What do you want, Sam?"

"Are you okay?"

She shrugged and looked away. Her eyes looked puffy.

"Can I come in? There's something I have to tell you. Something I found out while I was in town."

"Keith was pretty upset at you for leaving," she said. "I heard him swearing all the way up here, through the closed door."

"I had a very good reason for leaving, and if you'll let me in, I'll tell you what it is."

She exhaled, her shoulders drooping with the effort. Sam grinned. She could never stay mad at him long, and sometimes he took advantage of that. This was one of those times, but in the end it would be beneficial for both of them. She backed away and let him inside, but she left the door open and stood near it with her arms crossed. So maybe she wasn't finished being mad after all.

"Mind if I sit?" He indicated the bed.

"Suit yourself."

Then again, maybe he wouldn't sit. With too much nervous energy he began to pace, and her watching him didn't help matters. He didn't recall being this aflutter asking Amanda to marry him. Then again, he was pretty sloshed. Maybe he never asked, since it never happened. Clearing his throat, he stopped, faced her, and let the whole story of his afternoon spill from his lips. He watched the incomprehension turn to surprise and finally happiness.

Smiling, he slipped the box from his pants pocket and closed the space between them at the same time. "Elsa, baby, now that I know I'm free, will you marry me?"

She looked down at the engagement and wedding band set that lay in the velvet box. Instead of a large diamond, the engagement ring had a dark blue sapphire. The ring slipped into a wedding band that nested around it with two rows of small diamonds.

"Sam, it's beautiful," she gasped. "How did you pay for this?"

"Elsa, you're not supposed to ask me that," Sam's exclamation came out with a groan.

"I'm sorry. I'm just concerned about our resources," she replied.

"If you really need to know, it didn't cost as much as you'd think. And I bartered a little with the jeweler for some assistance with his security system." He held up his hand and waved off any more protests. "You know, if you don't want to be my wife, okay, fine, I understand." He snapped the case closed, took a step back, and turned toward the door.

"Sam!"

"What?" He shot over his shoulder, not trusting himself to turn and look at her, to see the disappointment in her eyes. He knew the ring wasn't like anything she was accustomed to, but she liked sapphires, and he hoped it would be good enough. Even more so, he hoped that he was good enough.

Elsa's hands blazed warm trails up his back and over his shoulders until she pressed them into his chest and molded her body to his. "I'm sorry, Sammy. I'm happy that you're not married, and I really do love the ring..."

"I hear a 'but' in that sentence."

She pressed closer to him, if it were even possible. "Don't mind me and my silly worries."

He broke away from her, turned, and took one of her hands in his. The other rotated the case over and over in his palm like he was preparing to throw a pair of dice. He was taking a gamble asking her, and she knew it.

"I know this isn't exactly the proposal of your dreams, but, will you wear this ring as my wife?" For a few moments, he feared what might happen if she said 'no'. His first thought was that he would fall over dead from a broken heart. His second thought was that he would have only himself to blame for such a tragedy.

Finally, she looked into his eyes, her own sparkling with tears. "Yes, I will, Sammy. You didn't have to ask. You knew what my answer would be."

Plucking the ring out of the box and leaving the wedding band behind, Sam's hands trembled as he took her hand and put the ring on her finger. "I was afraid that, uh, that maybe you'd changed your mind."

Closing the distance between them, Elsa said, "That's crazy. You risked a lot going into town to get this worked out. I'm just amazed that it was so easy."

"Me too. A part of me wants to ask why, but I don't really care." He took her into his arms and kissed her, and she responded with warmth and lost herself in him. She left him almost breathless. "Hey, baby, what do you say? Let's go to Ashland, get our papers, grab a bite to eat, and find someone who'll marry us tonight?"

Elsa laughed. "You are really driven sometimes, aren't you?" She kissed him and said, "It's alright, we can wait. Ashland is almost an hour away, and it'll be dark by the time we get there. I don't feel safe going out in the dark, because it's easier for someone to ambush us."

Sam looked at her, amazed at her intuition. "Yeah, you're right. You're getting too good at this covert business." He looked around the room and noted that in the time he was gone, she settled her things into it. "Looks like you were planning on staying in here for awhile."

"This room is nicer than the one we had downstairs," Elsa responded. "So, if you don't mind moving your things up here, we can settle into this room instead."

The décor was a little too feminine for his tastes, but it didn't matter. "You've got a deal, sweetheart. I'll take care of that later." He took her face in his hands and kissed her, his lips molding to hers, springing to life with desire. The couple swayed, hands roving over each other's body, heating them up until neither one could stand it. Sam reached for the buttons on Elsa's shirt as he toppled to the bed with her, giving her a taste of what was to come from spending a lifetime with him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The next morning, Sam moved his things into the bedroom as he fought the jitters inside himself. Why was he so nervous about marrying Elsa? His love for her was so strong, and he was certain that it was the right thing to do. A small part of his brain questioned him, asking what he would do if he found someone else who was better. That was unlikely, and with being on the run, it made sense to have her by his side. Sam had never committed to anything for a lifetime, and in the end he determined that was the problem. His wandering playboy nature wasn't used to this. He'd get over it. Marrying Elsa was the most important thing in his life at the moment. Keeping down and hidden from the agency ran a remote second. After today, he didn't have to concern himself with being alone, because he had a woman who would, given more time and practice, be a formidable operative. It was the best of both worlds, and Sam couldn't be happier.

That still didn't mean he couldn't be scared of taking this major leap.

Keith knocked on the door. "Hey Sam, you ready to go?"

He turned from the full length mirror and faced Keith with an uneven smile. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

Keith entered the room and flicked his hand over the shoulder of Sam's suit jacket. "You clean up good, Axe." He gave him a smile. Sam even shaved for the occasion.

"You're not so bad yourself, Keith." He glanced at the edges of his sleeves as he tugged on them before returning his gaze to the man who had become a good friend in so short a time. "I hope you don't mind doing this. I mean, I wish..."

Keith patted his arm. "I know, you would have rather had Westen here. That's okay, I understand. But you need someone, it might as well be me, right?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Thanks."

"Anytime, bro." He turned and headed for the door. "We better get going before Elsa makes her face up for the third time." He laughed, and Sam heard him as he hit the stairs. "You two crazy kids. You're just getting married, for crying out loud!"

"Really. I'd like to see how you react if and when it ever happens to you," Sam shot back. He went downstairs and found Elsa in the second bathroom where she poked and pulled at the curls in her hair, a curling iron in her other hand. She saw him watching in the mirror and her eyes widened. He took in the sight of her in a tan suit with a short skirt, light pink blouse, and matching shoes, and his smile was bright as he said, "You look gorgeous, sweetheart. Let's go get hitched."

Her laughter was soft and as beautiful as she was. Unplugging the iron, she set it on the shelf and moved out of the tiny space and into his arms. "I've been messing with myself all morning. I just want everything to be right."

"You could be covered in mud for all I care. I love you, Beautiful, and today you're all mine forever."

"And you're mine." She kissed him, just a brief but intimate touch, and let him go.

"Okay, that's good, you two agree," Keith said, shooing them out the door. "Now, let's go make it official."

"Barry said that everything was set, and that we could just pick up everything," Elsa declared, her eyes flitting around in search of suspicious looking people when Keith parked near the shop where they would get their new identities.

Sam noticed her anxiety, and he suspected that it had nothing to do with the upcoming wedding. For a moment he regretted getting Elsa involved and causing her to be in a situation that required such attentiveness. That was a nice way of putting it. Living on the run included a daily dose of uncertainty and fear, and the last thing he wanted to do was start a new life with her under such a dark cloud. One thing Sam knew for certain about Elsa: once she made up her mind to accompany him, there was no convincing her to turn back. Her stubbornness might get her killed, but at least she would be at his side. That's all that mattered to her.

He placed Elsa's hand in both of his and spoke near her ear. "Don't look scared, baby. Act like you're just here to pick up a new passport. Which you are, but it just happens to have a different name on it." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Keith and I are with you, and we're armed, so there's nothing to worry about."

She nodded her head in slow motion, taking and releasing a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I've never done anything like this before."

"I know. And so far, you've done everything right. Just keep it up." He kissed her temple, exited the SUV, and came around to open her door. As he took Elsa's hand and helped her step down, the wind blew her hair in front of her face. She swept it away and she found him smiling sweetly. "Have I told you yet how great you look?"

He was trying to distract her, and it worked. Smiling back, Elsa said, "You called me beautiful, so I suppose you did." She planted both feet on the pavement. "But I never tire of hearing it." She stole a kiss and moved toward the shop, pulling Sam by the hand. With a more relaxed smile over her shoulder, she said, "Let's get to it."

The office was small and packed with cases of paper and equipment behind a long, scuffed counter. The opposite wall was covered from floor to eye level with locked mailboxes. The bell jingled on the door when the three entered, and a voice called from the back of the store. "I'll be right with you." A few moments later, a short, chubby man emerged from the back room. "Hi, can I help you?"

"We're here to pick up some things that were ordered for us by a Barry Burkowski," Sam replied.

"Ah, yes. What's the pass code?"

Sam glanced at Keith and Elsa. Barry never said anything about a pass code as far as he knew. Elsa's eyes locked onto Sam's. She was the one who talked to him, so she should know. She replied, "The pass code is 'bacon.'"

Sam mouthed the word. He had a sneaking suspicion that Barry was trying to give him a message, that after this huge favor he was even with Sam for saving his butt when Greyson Miller wanted to kill him. He sighed. No doubt when things went back to normal, if they ever did, Barry would be playing the tit-for-tat game with the team again, and everyone would be happy with the arrangement.

The man behind the counter grinned. "That's it." He bent at the waist and shifted things around under the counter, making the three fight a sense of unease. Instead of pulling out a gun or some other weapon, however, he set a plastic basket on the counter. He picked out three small packets and laid each one in front of the recipient. "Here you go, brand new ID's, birth certificates, Social Security cards, the works. Your friend Barry's quite the guy. He had all his ducks in a row so you shouldn't have any trouble at all with these. I just need to get some photos of you all, plunk them in, and we're golden."

Keith picked up his new driver's license. "Not crazy about the photo, but it'll do." He gathered the other pieces and stowed them in the inner pocket of his suit jacket. Sam did the same, and Elsa placed hers in her purse. "What do we owe you for these?"

"Nothing. Like I said, Barry's quite the guy. He was able to assist me with a few financial… hiccups…." The guy grinned again. "So we're all good. You folks have a nice day, and good luck."

"Thanks." Keith led the way out of the store.

"Sam, I had a thought," Elsa said as she fell into step beside him.

"Oh? Getting cold feet?" The corner of his mouth tipped up, but inside butterflies collided in his stomach. He was afraid maybe she did change her mind and wanted to go back to Miami alone.

Her brow wrinkled as she exclaimed, "No way! I was thinking that we could get married and I'll still use the name on my papers. That'll make it easier, so we won't have to change them again." She stopped in front of the vehicle and paused as if she was afraid he would be angry at her. "When I asked Barry to give us all new names, I told him to pick a different last name than Ramsey for me. I had no idea we would actually get married while we were on the run."

Instead of being angry, Sam shook his head and smiled. "You did it again, baby." He turned to Keith and said, "You were right about her. She would make a good op." With her hands in his, he looked at her and said, "Are you ready to put the next phase of our plan into operation?"

"I take it that means getting married," she replied and squeezed his hands.

"You got it. Let's go to the courthouse, but I have a feeling we'll have to wait. We should probably just make a run to Reno."

"That's too risky," Elsa blurted. "I'd rather wait a few days than try it."

Sam turned his head and addressed Keith. "What do you think?"

"If anything, you're probably better off going to Reno. More anonymity there."

"He's got a point," Sam said as his gaze slipped back to Elsa. "I say we go for it."

Keith pulled out his cell phone, tapped the screen a few times, and nodded at the results. "Okay, it's about five hours from here. If we leave now, we could be there by eleven or so, crash at a motel, and tomorrow get you two hitched." A slow smile spread across his face. "I like it. Let's go for it."

During the discussion, Sam ran the level of risk in his head. At this point, the CIA had no clue where they were. Raines was on their side, and if Dani and Jesse were able to contact him, they had a small force that could help if things went bad. Leaving the house might be a good idea, because if the CIA was getting on their trail, the agency might find it while they were gone. Upon their return, Sam knew places on the property to do recon on the house and make sure it was safe to approach before they actually drove up the lane. If it wasn't safe, they were one step ahead on the road to fleeing.

"I agree with Keith. Let's do this, honey," Sam said.

Elsa still looked skeptical, but after a meal and hitting the road with no incidents, she felt more at ease. She relaxed in Sam's arms and fell asleep on the ride to Reno. He reveled in the feel of her against him, a surge of love rolling over him like the ocean waves. Some day they would go back and enjoy the peaceful, relaxing sound of the surf, free to do what they pleased. Until then, he would grab onto whatever small luxuries he could find, like a hassle-free trip across two states. This was the first time since the journey on the run began that he'd been able to do such a thing without the agency hot on his heels. If he wasn't careful, he'd get sloppy and put Keith and Elsa, and himself in danger. But Sam resolved to be careful, even when it didn't seem to be warranted.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Less than an hour before midnight, Keith pulled into the parking lot of a small wedding chapel. That late at night, there was no waiting, and before the beginning of a new day Sam and Elsa were married. He would have preferred to have something better, more along the lines to the luxury Elsa was accustomed to, but the light in her eyes when he said, "I do" made up for any shortcomings in the trappings. In an effort to further appease his sense of inadequacy, he bought a ring for himself, just a simple band of brushed gold. When Elsa put it on his finger, her own hands shook just as his did, and he focused on her sealing her vows with that piece of metal.

The minister, a portly, jolly man with an enthusiastic smile, announced, "So, by the power invested in me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you man and wife." He nodded at Sam. "You may kiss your bride."

It was the sweetest kiss they ever shared, and Sam wished that it didn't have to end. But it was almost midnight, and they needed to either find a motel in which to stay or head back to Oregon. With reluctance he broke the connection but held her in his arms. Through his shirt he sensed the press of the back of her wedding ring. It felt good.

"Hey, uh, Chuck, Elaine," Keith used their aliases to get the newly minted married couple's attention. "I missed a call from Dani." He held up his phone and showed the incoming call that went to voicemail. "We've gotta go."

"Thank you, Sir," Sam said to the officiant, shook his hand, and he and Elsa were gone with Keith.

"Hey, wait!"

Sam halted with Elsa in the doorway. "Yeah?"

"I just wanted to let you know that the marriage certificate will be in the mail within a week. Did you give an address where it could be sent?"

Sam looked at Elsa, and she returned a puzzled expression. Then a smile crossed Sam's face. "I know where we can have it sent. You got something I can write on?"

The man gave him a piece of paper. "This is the paperwork for your ceremony. You can put the address right there."

Nodding, Sam took the paper stuck on a clipboard and quickly wrote the address on the paper. "Thanks, man."

"You're welcome. Have a good night, and a long and happy life together!"

"We hope to," Elsa replied as she grabbed Sam's hand and trotted to the SUV that Keith had running at the curb.

When they were settled in, Sam asked, "What did Dani have to say?"

"She and Jesse are heading to Algeria to look for Mike and Fi," Keith replied. "By now they should be on the way there."

Sam asked, "So why the rush to get out of that place?"

Keith shuddered as he replied, "Places like that give me the creeps, Sam. I'm afraid I'm terminally single and always will be."

Sam laughed and chucked Keith's arm. "Yeah, just wait. I never thought I'd wanna settle down with anyone, but look at me." He pulled Elsa to the middle of the seat and wrapped his arm around her. "I'm a married man. For real this time!" He laughed, caressed Elsa's face with his free hand, and pulled her in for a kiss that she eager reciprocated.

"We should probably head back tonight," Keith suggested, glancing in the rearview mirror at the couple who seemed to be oblivious to him. He sighed, shook his head, and went back to the freeway that would take them to Hope.

Half way, Sam took over driving and Keith conked out in the passenger seat. Elsa slept behind Sam with her head resting against the door frame. He didn't think that could be comfortable, and he worried that when they got home she would have a sore neck. Home. For now, that's what it was. Now that he was married to Elsa... Elaine, he corrected himself... would Keith feel out of place in the house? If he did, what could they do about it? Sam hadn't thought about that before, and not for one second did Keith even hint that it might be awkward.

He pulled onto the road that ran along the back of the property and parked. He reached out and tapped Keith's arm. "Hey, Keith. Wake up."

Keith made a few grumbling noises, but he opened his eyes and surveyed the surroundings in the pre-dawn darkness. "Are we back?"

"Yeah. I'm just trying to check things out before we go down that driveway. As I take this road, I want you to take a gander and see if there's anything going on at the house." He handed Keith a pair of binoculars.

"Man, what I wouldn't give for some night-vision specs," Keith muttered as he looked through them. "So far it's clear. Keep going, slow."

Sam reached the road that would take them to the drive, and Keith said, "Well, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Let's go. I wanna sleep in a bed, not this car seat."

"I hear ya." Sam turned right, drove the short distance to the lane, and propelled the vehicle through the mature trees, evergreens, and saplings that hugged the primitive road. A shallow culvert ran on both sides, and with the serpentine shape of the road, Sam had no doubt that come winter, traveling it could be tricky. He would worry about that when the time came. Right now, he wanted to get to the house, carry Elsa inside, and put her to bed. Then he would join her and sleep until he was well-rested.

Sam parked the SUV and gave Keith the keys. "Can you open up the house? I'll bring Els... Elaine."

"Okay."

"Now that we have our new identities, we should use them," Sam said. "You never did tell us what your new name is."

Keith nodded, standing next to the back bumper as Sam reached for the passenger door, and answered, "It's Pete. Pete Frahm."

"Well, Pete, it's nice to meet you." Sam grinned and held out a hand that Pete clasped and shook.

"And it's nice to meet you too, Chuck Ramsey." Grinning, Pete turned toward the house. "I'll get the place unlocked."

"Thanks." Sam opened the door with caution, ready to catch Elaine when she tilted toward him. She was belted in, so he freed her, picked her up in his arms, and carried her to the house.

"Sam..."

"Shhh, I'm Chuck now, remember, Elaine?"

"Oh yeah." Her arms tightened around his shoulders. "I'll have to practice to get that right."

"You'll have plenty of time for that. Right now, I just want to get you inside the house." Chuck used his foot to close the door behind him. He didn't stop until Elaine lay on the bed. "I'll be right back." He kissed her cheek and hurried downstairs.

Pete came inside and locked the door. "I was just locking up the vehicle," he explained.

Chuck looked at him and noticed how tired his eyes looked. "You should get some shut-eye, Pete."

"I plan on it. You don't look so hot yourself, Chucky."

"Hey, it's not Chucky. Not Charles. It's Chuck." He pointed at Pete.

Pete laughed. "No matter what your name, you'll never change." He flapped a hand toward the staircase. "Now go on, get up there and snuggle with your wife, Ramsey."

"Aren't you coming up?"

Pete shook his head. "I'm moving down to your old room. Give you two a little privacy up there." With a wink, he turned and disappeared into the bedroom. He left the door open a crack in order to hear if anything or anyone came bursting into the house unannounced. He called out, "Night, Chuck."

"Night, Pete." Chuck headed for the stairs, taking two at a time, and entering the bedroom as quiet as a church mouse. Elaine lay on her side, her hand reaching out to the empty space where he would lay. He smiled. At the touch of his hand on her ankle, preparing to remove her shoes, she awoke and shot up into a sitting position. He had no idea how she got her high heeled shoe in her hand so fast, stiletto heel outward.

"Wow. Remind me to never try to steal your shoes," he joked.

She flushed, realizing that she threatened her husband. Then she smiled and dropped the shoe. "Sorry about that." With her toes she shucked the other pump off her foot and returned to her position lying on the bed. "Are you coming to bed... Chuck?" She giggled a little at the sound of the name on her lips.

"I intend to in a minute." He moved toward a chair in the corner opposite the bed. He stepped out of his shoes, unbuttoned his shirt, and pulled it off his shoulders.

"Oh, wait, let me do that," Elaine purred and popped up from the bed to accost him from behind. The heels of her hands pushed the material down, her palms flattened against his shoulders and arms. The skin on skin contact sent a shiver through him. He let the shirt fall to the floor, followed by the t-shirt underneath.

Elaine plastered his back with kisses that sent shocks throughout his body. He couldn't stand facing away from her, and so he whirled, grasped her arms in his hands, and brought his lips down to hers in a passionate dance. He loved it when she moaned, taken completely captive by him. Her knees buckled, and he picked her up by the waist, shuffled her to the bed, and dropped onto it with her.

The suit was an encumbrance that had to go, and soon. With each button he undid, Chuck kissed a piece of exposed flesh. He used his charm and his wiles to drive her crazy, and in turn take himself to the brink. When they finally came together for the first time as a married couple, it was a sweet union. Elaine held onto him as if she could never let him go, while Chuck felt as if he were flying. The last of their energy spent, he collapsed beside her, tucking her into his side under the covers. Neither one could stay awake for more than a whispered, "I love you."

On the first day of their lives as a married couple, Chuck and Elaine spent a lot of time sleeping, and when they weren't sleeping, loving. Chuck heard when Pete was awake and making noise in the kitchen. From the quality of light coming through the curtains, it had to be late afternoon.

"Pete must be making supper," Chuck muttered and kissed Elaine's neck.

"We never had breakfast or lunch," she responded, arching into him with the attention he paid to her neck. A shuddering breath came out of her when he reached her collarbone. "I'm pretty hungry."

"I suppose," Chuck said with fire in his eyes. "There's only one thing I'm hungry for right now, baby."

"My, my, you're insatiable, S... Chuck." Elaine gave him a sultry smile. "Marriage suits you."

"Is that what it is? I just know that for some reason you seem awfully sexy today." He banished all conversation with his lips on hers, while his hands worked their magic. In no time, he had her at his mercy.

Basking in the afterglow, Elaine nestled her head into his arm that stretched across her pillow. Looking at him with a hint of distress, she said, "I just thought of something. We won't be able to have Sammy time anymore."

"Yeah, you're right."

"And Chucky time..." She shuddered. "That sounds creepy."

"Well, let's see. What's my middle name? Let me check my drivers' license." He slipped out of bed and picked up his pants. He returned with his wallet and opened it to the identification. "Well, someone has a sense of humor. Look at that." He held up the license for Elaine to see. "Edward. My middle name is Edward."

"Doesn't quite have the same ring as Sammy time, but Eddie time will do." Elsa chuckled. She set the wallet on the night stand and pulled him down to lay with her. "It's okay, I like it. As a matter of fact, I might just call you Eddie all the time." She grinned.

"What's your middle name, Elaine?" Chuck encircled her waist with his arms and pulled her into his warmth.

"My name is Elaine Maureen Sawyer." Looking into Chuck's eyes, she said, "You can just call me Em. How about that?"

"I like it... Em." He kissed her.

A knock interrupted him. From the other side of the door, Pete said, "Supper's just about ready. I thought maybe you two might be hungry."

"We are," the two answered in tandem.

"We'll be right out," Elaine declared.

"Okay, I'll be waiting downstairs."

After a simple dinner, the three played cards until late in the evening. "After all that sleep, I'm not really tired," Pete said. "But I know I've gotta get back to a regular schedule."

"Agreed," Chuck said.

"What happens now? Do we just sit around and wait for Dani and Jesse to come back or the CIA finds us," Elaine asked.

"We stay put for now," Pete answered. "It may be boring around here, but it's safe. We need to work on our cover story, start infiltrating the town and getting to know people."

"That sounds dangerous," Elaine said.

"Not really," Chuck broke in. "If they think we're who we say we are, when the agency comes looking for us, the townies will think the agency is trying to pull something. Even if they show people pictures of us with our real names, they won't buy it."

"We should probably try to alter our appearances too, to make it harder to put it all together," Pete suggested. He rubbed his scruffy chin and grinned. "I'm going to let this grow out and see what happens."

"Maybe you should do the same, Eddie," Elaine said with a smile and the back of her hand caressing his cheek.

"Eddie?" Pete raised an eyebrow.

"It's my middle name. Elaine seems to have taken a shine to it."

Nodding, Pete agreed. "I like it better than Chuck. And it's cute, too. Eddie and Elaine, it has a nicer ring to it than Chuck and Elaine. You sound like a real, laid-back couple."

"Well, I don't know about you, but this laid back couple needs to get to bed, grab some sleep, and start tomorrow at a normal time," Elaine announced as she stood. "Coming, Eddie?"

"Yes, ma'am. Night, Pete."

"Night, Eddie." Pete scooped up the cards and tapped them into a neat pile, all the while watching the couple move on light feet toward the stairs. He let out a soft sigh that Eddie heard as he and Elaine hurried up the steps.

"I really feel bad for Pete," Elaine whispered.

"Why do you say that," Eddie asked.

"He's alone. We have each other, and Dani and Jesse..."

Eddie scoffed. "You're coupling up Pearce and Jesse? Get real."

In the dark it was impossible to see her eyes, but he could imagine the look she was giving him. Like he was just a man and he wouldn't understand. "You obviously didn't see the way those two were looking at each other when we were at the house. Jesse is interested in Dani, and she looked like she wouldn't mind checking him out, either."

"Well, if it's true, she'll have to wait until the mission is over. Jesse's got no time for screwing around."

Elaine let out a soft snort of laughter. "Don't be surprised if they come back closer."

"I don't care. I just want... I just want Mike and Fi to come home safe and sound," he muttered, his face nestled into the crook of her neck. Her arms went around his neck and she held him there, and he enveloped her in his arms. "I miss him so much, Em. I'd always hoped that if I ever got married again... I mean, married... that he would be around."

"I know, sweetheart. We can't always get what we want, and the things we do get, we should be happy to have." She placed a light kiss on his forehead and whispered in the softest voice. "I love you... Sam."

His reply was just as soft. "I love you too, Elsa." Her soft sigh and the light raking of her fingertips along his face stirred his desire again. "Elsa, baby..."

She cut him off with a kiss, pulled the covers over their heads, and in the cocoon she made love to him with barely a whisper from the sheets.

* * *

_Coming in Episode 2 of The Rise of Sam Axe: Hiding In Plain Sight – Sam, Elsa, and Keith, now known as Eddie, Em, and Pete, begin blending in with the townspeople as they wait for word from Dani and Jesse. A new member joins their household, and Maddie and Virgil get some unexpected news._


End file.
